Nalu Week 2019
by MorriganFae
Summary: One-shots for Nalu Week 1) Chance - Natsu's back from active-duty. Do him and Lucy have a second chance at love? 2) Cursed - A succubus and a Hunter meet 3) Lost - Lucy finds more than just an address 4) On the Road - Natsu cracks his tooth on a Vegas road trip. 5) Trial - (this is a surprise!) 6) Stranger - ballerina/musician 7) Treasure - what we value isn't gold. July 1 - 7. A/U
1. Chapter 1 - This Torch I Set

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: Chance_

**This Torch I Carry Will Set Me Ablaze**

* * *

"_Keep a little fire burning; however small, _

_however hidden."_

— Cormac McCarthy

* * *

"Natsu's here," Lucy announces as she storms into the kitchen.

She can feel the anger simmering in her veins, the outrage. There's a hard edge to her lips, a few wisps of flyaways escaping her immaculately coiffed hair.

Levy doesn't bother to look up, despite her tone, too busy measuring out coffee grinds to add to the filter.

"I know. I invited him."

Frustration erupts like an invisible mushroom cloud over Lucy, her spine freezing in place as she blinks twice – the amber in her eyes sharpening.

"You did_ what?"_

"You heard me. I invited him." Levy closes the lid of the Cuisinart, brushing the smattering of decaf grounds off the counter before moving to the sink. The sound of the tap gurgling to life fills the room.

Lucy is right behind her, snagging the blunette by the elbow, forcing her to do an about-face. Water sprays as it hits the coffee pot's glass rim, narrowly missing Levy's sleeve.

The blonde hardly notices.

"Levy, how _could _you? You know better than anyone how I feel about Natsu Dragneel!"

Lucy and Natsu had been high school sweethearts. From the ages of sixteen to eighteen, they'd been inseparable.

They had been young, _so young_...but high on love too.

Levy ignores her friend's outburst in favour of pouring water into the coffee maker and turning it on. She darts around Lucy, pulling open the fridge and taking out several prepared trays of cold appetizers. She starts stacking them on the kitchen island behind her.

"Natsu's my friend, too. Gajeel wanted him here and so did everybody else. Now, can you take the saran wrap off of these and start bringing them out to the guests? I have to start prepping the hot foods," she murmurs distractedly.

As if on cue, the oven timer dings. Levy reaches for a nearby pen, making a quick check mark in the box to cross the item off her meticulous list.

Lucy works her jaw, heat crawling up her neck when the blunette_ still _can't be bothered to look at her. Levy grabs the next two cookie sheets filled with finger foods that still need baking from the assembly line waiting on the counter.

Of all the people in the world, she expected her _best friend _to be on her side for this. Betrayal burns a hole in her gut.

"I refuse to step foot out of this kitchen until Natsu leaves this house!"

Natsu had broken up with her – went straight into the Army after graduation with nary a glance back at the girl he left behind.

Even after all these years, Lucy still went on about it when she was drunk.

Levy slams the trays down, potstickers and tortillas jumping as she whirls to face the blonde.

"Oh, you're stepping out of this kitchen all right! You're twenty-five years old but you're acting like a child! It's been seven years since the two of you broke up. Seven _years _since you have refused to even be in the same room together._ Seven years _of making your friends choose sides in this cold war the two of you have had going on. Well, I'm putting an end to it even if I have to humiliate you to do it. Tonight is important to me and all I'm asking you to do is _grow up, Lucy!"_

Lucy stares at Levy, feeling her cheeks flare, stunned into silence.

Levy has never yelled at her before.

_Ever. _

The scent of percolating french roast wafts toward them and the oven timer dings again. Levy shoves past her, tugging on oven gloves and taking out the crab cakes. She slides the next round of hors d'oeuvres into the stove to take their place.

Then, as if nothing has happened, Levy resumes speaking in her normal tone, "There's a bowl of garlic aioli and a plate of lemon slices in the fridge. Would you mind getting them out while I plate these?"

_Never mess with a preggo Levy McGarden._

The mercurial mood swings are making Lucy dizzy.

She has never understood the point of having a gender-reveal party but Levy, six months pregnant, had wanted one. Gajeel, of course, went out of his way to indulge his wife, seeming every bit as excited as Levy to find out the sex of their first child.

The thought had never crossed Lucy's mind that Natsu might be here. She knew their other friends kept in touch, but last she'd heard, he'd been on his second tour of duty somewhere in the Middle East.

Avoiding a man stationed thousands of miles away had been simple. The few times he'd been home in recent years, she'd been notified well in advance by their mutual network and always found an excuse to be out of town.

Facing him now, she'd rather sign-up for a deep-sea diving expedition with Juvia...

… And she _hated _the water and the only fish she liked came in a sushi roll.

"Lucy?" Levy prompts, sliding the spatula under the crab cakes and arranging them on a bed of lettuce.

There's a brief pause before the blonde bursts into action.

"Garlic aioli and lemon slices...right. I'm on it." Lucy does what she's asked, movements robotic under Levy's watchful gaze. After handing over the requested items, she takes the saran wrap off the other appetizers, balling up the sticky plastic to throw into the garbage, all the while feeling a niggling bite of shame at having been reprimanded by her best friend.

There's a touch on her shoulder, and Lucy finds herself being pulled down into a hug, Levy's round stomach acting as a barrier between them.

"Lu, I know it's hard and I'm sorry I yelled at you. I blame the pregnancy hormones. But you guys were together for two years and it's been over triple that already."

_Has it?_

Lucy licks her lips, the tang of gloss sour on her tongue.

She knows it has.

Time is the greatest trickster god of them all.

Ever the reasonable one, Levy adds, "Natsu knew you'd be here and he isn't freaking out, so why should you?"

_No, I bet he's not._

She curses him even more for it too.

Apparently, Lucy is the only one holding a grudge.

She takes in a long, steadying breath. She's being selfish, she knows. This is Levy's house, her party. She can invite anyone she pleases. Lucy tilts her mouth up at the corners and tries for a pleasant tone.

"You're right, Levs. Besides it's only one night. How bad can it be?"

Levy rolls her eyes, clearly unimpressed by her paltry attempt, but thrusts a platter into Lucy's hands. Various crackers are spread out like decks of cards around a cheeseball.

"That's the spirit. Now let's rejoin our friends as if we all know the meaning of civilized manners."

Before Lucy can say anything else, Levy is swooping back into the living room, crab cakes in one hand, a shrimp ring in the other.

Gajeel spots her and is instantly pulled into her orbit.

"Shrimp, why didn't you tell me it was time for the food?" he asks fondly, his words always softer with her than with others as he confiscates the plate from her hands. "I see you're serving the food of your people. Isn't a shrimp eating another shrimp cannibalism?"

Lucy bits her lip as Levy rolls her eyes yet again. It's a small wonder that the blunette didn't get them permanently stuck mid-rotation.

"Ha_ha_, you know I'm not eating shellfish right now. All I want is spicy foods."

Gajeel is suddenly on high-alert. "You need me to get something for you? I can go to the store right now."

Levy lightly smacks him with her free hand. "Nope. I just put the curried chicken taquitos in the oven. They'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

"I can get you a bowl of thai soup in under ten," he says with confidence.

Lucy watches as her best friend's nutmeg eyes become tender, even as she refuses her husband's offer. Levy sneaks a kiss instead and the pair look at each other like the rest of the world has fallen away.

Lucy's throat feels tight and dry.

"Hey," a voice says from behind her.

Lucy thanks her lucky stars she saw that flash of coral earlier, just as he entered the house. So although her heart leaps, she doesn't jump out of her skin.

No, she's calm, cool and collected as she swerves around to face Natsu Dragneel for the first time in years.

Or so she tells herself.

He's slightly taller than she remembers, or maybe it's just his posture – spine ramrod straight with the confidence of a soldier. The Natsu of her youth had been a sloucher. The Instagram photos that she _just happened_ to stumble across in the intervening years didn't do him justice, that's for damn sure.

His hair is buzzed short on the sides but in an undercut so that the pink strands are still long and spiky at the top. It suits him.

He's wearing a white shirt, his throat revealed by the top two buttons undone, skin like toast and honey. A pair of charcoal pants that cling in all the right places.

Lucy can tell at a glance that the materials are expensive. If they were eighteen again, she would've let out a wolf whistle.

She keeps her mouth welded _shut_ but keeps drinking in details the way a drowning person gasps for air.

His face used to have a roundness to it, but that's now given way to sharp-cut cheekbones and full lips with a more clearly defined cupid's bow. His gem-green eyes remain as bright as ever, but there's a hardness to them that she doesn't recognize.

"Hello, Natsu." Even saying his name _hurts. _

She's only spoken two words and she's already to be done with this conversation.

Damn Levy for arranging this gathering and for springing Natsu on her. And damn herself for getting worked up over a man she should've moved on from long ago.

To his credit, Natsu looks as uncomfortable as she feels, running a hand through his salmon locks in an uneasy gesture.

"Long time no see," he offers.

Lucy barks out a laugh. "Seven years and that's the best you can do?"

Natsu selects a cracker from her tray, smearing a bit of softened herbed cream cheese over it.

Arresting emerald irises pin her in place as he sinks his even, white teeth into a Ritz. He always did have the best smile. Lucy glances away, wishing he'd bite into a rock and break off his damnable perfect incisors at the gumline.

"You look good, Luce."

Her startled eyes find his again and her fingers curl so tight around the serving tray that she's certain she's denting the silver.

"You shouldn't say such things, Natsu." Not any more. Certainly not at a party where all their friends are casting covert looks in their direction.

Natsu smiles and the rogue of the boy she used to know peeks out.

"Fine. You look bad, Lucy."

She laughs in spite of herself, catching herself halfway through, but Natsu's laughing too and something that felt so small and empty inside her chest for far too long suddenly feels light and buoyant, pushing against her rib cage.

_Seven years away and within thirty seconds you're laughing at his jokes? Pathetic._

The thought sobers her.

"I should circulate. More people are probably dying for this cheeseball." She strives to sound airy, but the words whittle into wood chips and she sounds hard.

Natsu takes the hit, a bit of hurt tingeing the lush forest of his eyes. "Yes, of course. See ya around."

_Or not._

Just one night, she tells herself. Then she can call in sick tomorrow and stay in bed, where she can figure out how long Natsu's visiting so she can avoid him until he catches the next plane back to Iraq or Iran or wherever he's fighting next.

She can survive this, right?

She hides in plain sight for the duration of the party, talking to Erza and Jellal, then Juvia and Gray. She helps Levy serve the food, always managing to stay on the opposite side of the room as Natsu. She works her way through polite chitchat with various friends and notices him doing the same, each hyperaware of the other, but trading no more than brief nods and fleeting looks.

It's pure agony.

Finally though, the champagne is brought out and the glasses are filled, all in anticipation of the cake being cut.

It's a simple, two-tiered affair wrapped in white icing. A plastic diapered baby sits at the top wearing a vacant, blank smile. Lucy knows just how it feels.

But when the knife goes through fondant, she's holding her breath.

"Blue!" Levy cries out before the first wedge is fully revealed.

"A boy," Gajeel says in a daze, his eyes becoming suspiciously bright beneath his rough exterior.

The pair forget about the cake—forget about the room—and wrap themselves up in each other.

"We're going to have a son," Levy murmurs to her husband.

Gajeel can't resist running his hand reverently over her tummy. "Oh little one, I'm so going to love you."

It's an oddly personal moment, one Lucy isn't sure is meant for public consumption, but in the next second, Levy is turning to her, arms outstretched, "I'm having a baby boy, Lu!"

Lucy rushes to her, feeling her own tears forming as she embraces her best friend. The moisture mingles, streaking down both their cheeks as they hold each other in joy and happiness.

"This baby is going to be so lucky to have you both."

"We're lucky to have him," Levy corrects. "I honestly thought it would be a girl."

"Next time," Gajeel says gruffly, pulling his wife firmly against him, her back to his front. His arms form a band around her waist. Gajeel rubs his palms in slow circles around Levy's belly as if he can't believe quite believe their son is in there.

"Congratulations," Natsu offers and the rest of them raise their glasses up to toast, Levy taking a small sip of sparkling juice instead of alcohol.

"Here here!" Gray adds, pressing Juvia to his side. The marine biologist blushes happily, clinking her glass to his.

As the cake is consumed and the champagne flutes empty, the other couples begin talking about when they might start raising their own families.

Erza wants to wait until after she's made partner at her law firm. Juvia says she'll wait until Gray proposes, which causes him to stammer about needing so many hours before he can advance from co-pilot to the captain's chair.

Laxus and Mira want to travel first. Freed and Rufus are on the fence, but have just began talking about the possibility of adoption. Cana and Bacchus say they aren't interested in getting married or having children, but would like to have several pets.

It's discomfiting being the only single people in the room. The slight lull of conversation as everyone skips over Lucy and Natsu.

She can see him fidgeting from the corner of her eye, nursing his glass of champagne rather than partake in the discussion. She can't help but sympathize as she drains her own flute.

As soon as it's socially polite to do so, Lucy makes an excuse to leave.

"I'll walk you home," Natsu says and his eyes are a plea to help him escape.

"Alright," she agrees, feeling a measure of pity for him. "Levs, Natsu and I are heading out."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she instantly knows they are the wrong ones. Everyone stops talking, casting speculative glances at the pair, but Lucy can't find it in herself to bother to correct them on their assumptions if it means she can get the hell out of here.

"Sure, Lucy. Thanks for helping out today." Levy walks them to the door.

"Good to see you again, Natsu," Levy says, giving him a warm hug.

"You too, Levs. Thanks for inviting me," Natsu says, giving her stomach a gentle pat. "Natsu's a _great _name for a boy, by the way."

Levy giggles, laying her hand over his and clasping it fondly.

"We'll keep that in mind. Call me tomorrow, Lu." She raises herself up on tiptoes to give Lucy a departing kiss on the cheek.

"Will do," Lucy says, shrugging on her coat, but she's caught in the backlash of memory as she watches Natsu wind a familiar scarf around his neck.

She needs to get out of here. _Now._

The two of them leave the house and start walking side-by-side on the sidewalk. The day has turned cold and Lucy pulls her jacket tighter around her.

She can't seem to stop herself from saying, "Still wearing the same scarf, I see."

It was the first Christmas present she gave him. White and gauzy with the faintest of grey pinstripes ingrained to resemble dragon scales. He had opened the box and used the scarf to lasso her in for a kiss that had stolen her breath away.

In happier times, it goes without saying. Oh so much happier.

When they were young and naive enough to believe that first love lasts forever.

Natsu fingers the fabric awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Yeah...well, didn't want to get rid of it. It was always my favorite."

"Of course," she acknowledges, then abruptly changes the subject. "We'll need to walk, I don't have a car. I'm just down on Strawberry Street."

She could just offer to part ways, but dusk is fast approaching and she didn't live in the best area.

Lucy digs into her purse and finds a pack of cigarettes. She lights one for herself, taking a grateful drag before remembering to offer Natsu one.

"No thanks, I quit. The army encourages you to be healthy in every single way."

"Welp, the modelling agency encourages _me _to do whatever it takes to stay a size four," she says tartly, inhaling deeply.

Natsu's eyes rove to her figure, and his mouth downturns slightly at how thin she is. He always did like her better with a bit of meat on her bones.

"Still modelling, huh?"

The way he says it makes her feel like he already knows, like he's been keeping track of her just as she tracks him.

"Yup, but I'll need to get out soon. Twenty five is already past your prime in the fashion world."

"Yeah? What're gonna do...after?"

"Write. And I'm already doing it." The seasonal trends pieces went under her own name, the political ones under a pseudonym, Lucy Ashley.

"Busy, busy."

"I'm not the type to just sit around, you know that." She flicks her cigarette butt into the street.

"You could, if that's what you wanted. You have more than enough money to last several lifetimes," he offers matter-of-factly.

Lucy's blood fires. "I don't give a shit about the money, but I'm not going to apologize for my parents being dead."

Natsu raises his hands in a gesture of peace. "I only meant I'm like you, I need to work, even if I didn't have to. That's why I left. I've put in my time and the army will pay for my university now."

… And now they're back. The past seven years dissolve as the same argument picks up right where it left off.

"I would've paid your tuition, I told you that."

"And I told _you _that I didn't feel right taking money from you."

"So you took yourself away, and that was just _so much better for me_, wasn't it?"

The accusation hangs in the air. Lucy can feel her cheeks turning pink with anger, the tears threatening to reveal themselves. She shouldn't feel like this. She's spent the last several years carefully forming an icy exterior.

_One night, _she reminds herself. _Just get through this farce of him walking you home like you're still high school sweethearts and you're scot-free._

She tries to calculate how long it will take to reach her place, how long until she can plaster a fake smile on her face and lie about _keeping in touch, _but everything feels wrong. The tears are getting harder to keep at bay and her throat is gluey. She delves into her purse again, just for an excuse to look down. Lucy shuffles objects around without seeing anything, her vision blurring.

Natsu touches her bicep to halt her and the look of anguish on his face pierces through her like a lance to the heart.

"I thought it was. I thought I wasn't good enough for you, Luce. But I've had seven years of regret stuck in my throat and now I know I made the worst mistake of my life."

"You were _always _good enough for me, Natsu."

"I didn't think so. You were everything – smart, beautiful, driven. I'm just...me." Natsu gestures down at himself as if he can't see all the absurd perfection Lucy sees.

"You're all I ever wanted," Lucy says simply. "I just couldn't convince you of that."

His eyes flash, pupils blown wide as the ring of jade is siphoned away.

Her words act like a cataclysm and suddenly, his mouth is on hers.

Natsu's lips meld against hers own, plush and firm and knowing.

Instead of pushing him away, she's kissing him back. A low, keening noise bubbles from her chest, but she's pulling him tighter and chasing his lips for _more_.

They somehow manage to stumble to Strawberry Street, hands roaming over each other in greed and lust. The second they're inside her apartment, Natsu is pinning her against the door. Her lips tingling and swollen – Natsu's always been a biter.

And she knows she's falling, plummeting to a place that she closed off long ago but she doesn't _care._

The brush of Natsu's lips against her ear make her shudder. It's been so long since he's _touched her._ Her body remembers the shape of his hands, the sweet, scorching kisses. His _scent – _the way pine trees smell during a forest fire. All she wants to do is tear off his clothes and taste what's underneath.

"Woah, whoa. Easy, Luce. We have time."

"_We don't," _she hisses, reminding him.

"Luce, I'm back. I'm in the reserves now, not on active duty. I've enrolled in college."

His words hit her like a mallet and she stops trying to rip off his shirt.

"You're...you're back? As in_ staying in Magnolia_, _no more Iran_?"

"Iraq," he corrects, "And yeah."

She's having trouble grasping the concept. "Where are you staying? Why did no one tell me?'

"I'm crashing at Gray and Juvia's. It's temporary, just until I can find a place. They're the only ones that know, I swore them to secrecy until I had a chance to talk to you."

"Oh _god_. Natsu." Back. For good.

She tugs him down for another kiss her and he willingly obliges. His hair shorter than the memory engraved on her fingertips, but every bit as soft. The kiss turns warm, hot, messy. They fumble their way to the bedroom, leaving a haphazard trail of clothes behind them.

Natsu's body is different now – the lanky musculature of youth hardened and sculpted by the military into a broadness and definition she doesn't recognize, but is eager to explore with her hands and mouth.

Still, some things remain familiar—his taste, the low growls, the husky chuckle when he can't unfasten her bra strap—all these things beckon from another era, another time and place, yet wholly here.

_Her _Natsu.

Such thinking is dangerous. Still, she can't stop herself from stepping on the thin ice of memory. Part of her—_most of her_—hopes she'll drown in it. She knows she's taking something she's not supposed to have, not anymore, but there's pleasure in feeling like a thief, too.

When she's spread out on the bed, wanton and wanting, he pauses to find a condom in his wallet. Lucy can easily imagine Gray gave it to him. They have never been any good at keeping their hands off each other.

He rolls it down his thick length and she raises her arms in welcome as he climbs on top of her, sealing their lips together, his tongue hot and demanding. Her mind addled, thoughts jumbled by lust. She needs this. She needs _him._

His first thrust breaks off a chunk of permafrost surrounding her heart.

As they move together, she thaws into him, her body slowly growing flushed and heated. The friction rough and perfect. The fit just as she remembers. _Better. _She's biting her lip raw to keep any comprehensive words from escaping, and she's all needy whimpers and clenched teeth.

… And she's so, so lost, but he's finding every inch of her.

When her climax comes, high and sweet, she whispers the words she needs to say.

Natsu groans above her, spilling into the condom as he finds his own release. He takes her face in both his hands, searching her eyes.

"Do you mean it? What you just said?"

Lucy feels her cheeks redden, but she's never been a quitter. Not with them. _Never _them.

"Yes, I meant it."

"You want me to stay with you?"

"Yes." _More than anything._

"Okay," he says, like it's that simple...and maybe it can be.

His smile melts away any lingering doubts she has.

It feels like a second chance.

It feels like love.

* * *

_**A/N - Thanks to my amazing friend, Satyrykal. She's always super supportive and encouraging; not just with editing, but with brainstorming and taking much-needed breaks to reset. She's the Levy to my Lucy, the jelly to my PB, the sunshine on my cloudy day. She writes these **__**fantastic**__** Nalu stories, so please go check her out.**_

_**A couple of my friends are also participating in a Nalu week! Please check out ShanaHollows and wordsaremyspells1331!**_

_**I haven't written a one-shot or anything modern for Nalu before. It was a lot of fun! I hope you guys enjoyed the Chance Prompt! My next one-shot will be posted tomorrow.**_

_**Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians! **_


	2. Chapter 2 - These Violent Delights

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: Cursed_

**These Violent Delights**

* * *

"_But death was her curse and her gift, _

_ and death had been her good friend _

_these long, long years."_

— Sarah J. Maas

* * *

Natsu sat on a high-back leather bench that stretched across the entire length of the lounge wall. He absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the marble tabletop in front of him, swirling his third drink of the evening in his other hand – scarcely touched. The seat across from him remained deliberately empty.

He wasn't in the mood for company tonight.

He took a sip of his whiskey, enjoying the smoky flavour resting on his tongue for a few seconds before swallowing. The liquor had just burned pleasantly down his throat when he heard a slight commotion at the bar.

_There goes my quiet evening._

"Come on sweetheart, let me buy you a drink."

He glanced over towards the counter, one eyebrow arching as he overheard the simpering voice of the village idiot. His actual name was Sting, but Natsu had always thought the guy was a jerk.

He let his eyes flicker over to Sting's latest would-be conquest.

A leggy blonde sat at the bar, her wavy hair coiffed like a pinup girl in the 1950's. She looked as though she'd stepped straight out of a pulp crime novel – the type where the private investigator called every woman _dame_.

She pointedly ignored Sting, talking directly to Bacchus, presumably placing her order.

Natsu wondered what she was getting. Probably a fluffy blended drink...watered down and overly sweet. Or perhaps wine. He bet she loved wine. Probably put highly edited, filtered photos of it on Instagram.

With hashtags.

Lots and lots of hashtags.

He was slightly surprised when Bacchus handed her a lowball glass with amber liquid splashed at the bottom. It had a single ice cube floating in the centre with a sliver of orange peel curled around it. An old-fashioned, he surmised.

It didn't change his opinion of her.

The old hollywood glamour, the scarlet lipstick, the bourbon-based drink. These were all trendy offerings in certain corners of Manhattan.

_Pretentious and high-maintenance,_ he surmised. Not his type. He liked women with loose hair and even looser morals, ones who were up for a good time.

This one looked like a cocktease.

All effort, no play.

Unfortunately, Natsu had unusually sharp ears and was unable to ignore overhearing every single word Sting said. He settled himself in as a reluctant and silent observer.

"Fine, you got your drink. How about some company?" Sting asked, because he was a tenacious little shit.

"No thank you," the blonde muttered, stiffly pivoting in her seat to turn away from him, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Aw, don't be like that. I'm a lot of fun, once you get to know me." Sting put his hand on her shoulder and she visibly shuddered.

Natsu didn't question why he suddenly downed his whiskey in one gulp. He just slammed it back, untasted.

_Oops._

Time to get a refill.

The closer he moved toward the bar, the more he could understand why Sir Douche-a-Lot was being so persistent. This woman was _stunning._

Her makeup was done in that artful way women had. Natsu knew there had to be at least five different shades of eyeshadow on her lids, but the burnished golds and sweep of deep violets were flawlessly blended under her arched, perfectly shaped brows. Long black lashes framed her rich topaz irises. Her body steeply curved.

_She's way out of Sting's league._

It would be like sending a beginner down a double black diamond slope.

But try telling_ him_ that.

Her dress was poppy-red and Sting stared at her with the eyes of an opium addict.

Apparently, the fool had a hard time taking _no _for an answer.

Sting stepped a bit closer to her, his hand stroking down the lines of her shoulders to the middle of her back and she cringed.

"A woman like you doesn't dress up to the nines just to come here and have a quiet drink by yourself," he murmured.

The blonde turned to Sting, eyes flat and disinterested – those ruby lips downturned.

"Why I'm here is none of your business. I had hoped by ignoring you when you offered to buy me a drink, you would take the hint, but I can see now that subtly is completely wasted on someone like you." She forcibly removed his arm. She wore lace gloves. In spite of this, she pinched Sting's wrist between fingers that curled like tongs.

"So...just so that we're crystal clear: I would like you to leave me alone. I find your 'company' intolerable and I don't wish to convey interest where none exists."

"Huh?" Sting replied with his usual brilliant flare.

"She's kindly telling you to fuck off, Sting," Natsu supplied, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation as he rested his forearm on the bartop – flagging down Bacchus.

Sting snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Why don't you just get your drink and head back to your booth, Natsu? I'm having a conversation with the lady here."

"No, you're not," she told him, swerving away and taking a sip of her drink, manicured nails stark against the frosted glass.

"You seem extra _thirsty _tonight, Sting. Best get moving along, though. Yukino is probably wondering why you're not home yet," Natsu drawled in clear dismissal.

"Fuck you, man," Sting mumbled, grabbing his beer and moving towards the pool tables.

No one was sad to see him leave.

"Sorry about him," Natsu offered.

"Oh? And who are _you_? The _waiting in the wings_ man?" The blonde fired off, wariness clouding her tone. "Your friend struck out, so now you're here to take your shot?"

"I'm not here to bother you and Sting isn't my friend. He's just a regular here."

"Like you."

"Like me," Natsu confirmed. "I just wanted another round."

He pushed his empty glass to the bartender.

Bacchus came back with a fresh tumbler and a more generous portion of whiskey than usual. Natsu nodded his thanks. He saluted the blonde with his glass, preparing to go back to his own table.

"Wait."

He paused his steps, turning to glance over his shoulder at her.

She seemed to be warring with herself, biting into the flesh of her lower lip but her gaze stayed steady. Finally she said, "Lucy. My name is Lucy. And if you don't have other plans, I wouldn't mind you sitting next to me."

He paused.

"All right."

If it was a free offer, why not take it?

"Dragneel, Natsu Dragneel." Pressed closer to her, she smelled like sweetgrass and wildflowers.

"How many of those have you had?" Lucy asked, dipping her eyes to his whiskey.

"This is my fourth." And last. He couldn't be sure if she _was_ a cocktease, but just in case, it never hurts to be ready for whatever the night throws at you.

"Looks like I have some catching up to do," Lucy said, clinking her glass to his and taking a long gulp of her drink.

* * *

A few hours later, Natsu watched as Lucy swung on a lamp post, doing a fair rendition of _Singing in the Rain_.

"It's not even raining," he pointed out.

"Spoilsport. Honestly, Natsu. What fun are you?" She pushed off and did another full circle around the metal beam, her back arching prettily in the low evening light.

He waited at the end of her spin this time and caught her by the hips, halting her. Natsu let his fingers dig into the material of her red dress. His voice coming out in a low rasp. "Well, if you're looking for _fun_...come back to my place tonight."

Lucy laughed. He'd never heard laughter like hers before – sound scattering down a jeweled corridor.

"That's better. I like men who are bold." She said airly, stepping slightly away from him and flourishing with her arm that he should lead the way.

Natsu smirked when he saw that she stayed just out of reach. A tease, alright. But she looked like the type who'd make the chase all the more fun.

Besides, she'd already agreed to go with him.

They continued walking down the street and he snuck another glance at her. Her wavy tresses looked silver now, like liquid moonlight pouring down her back.

Beautiful. Ethereal. Like so many of their kind.

But there was something different, something—

Lucy caught him looking and tilted her head up to give him a coy smile. Her topaz irises blazed and he felt a deep tug in his loins. Primal longing coursed through him. He wanted to pull her into a back alley and taste all the words out of her mouth.

He stumbled a step.

She kept talking and he blinked his way back into the conversation.

"—all right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Just the drinks getting to me, I guess." He flapped a hand. "The night air will help."

"Oh, okay," Lucy fell into step with him, watching him closely.

"When did you say you got into town again?" He struggled to adopt a casual tone.

She shot him a wry glance, her shoulders tightening slightly.

"I didn't."

"Oh." He bit off. His reply too harsh, too short – but his mind whirled.

She paused, halting her steps. He stopped next to her.

He felt blank and stupid, like he'd been missing something painfully obvious.

Lucy seemed to take pity on him. "With the full moon, if you must know."

Natsu worked his jaw, taking in the sight of her full curves, the dress with the neckline up to her collar bones, the sleeves that went down to her elbows, the lace gloves up to her wrists. The way her skin shimmered slightly in the dark, the too-bright glint in her eyes.

He must be getting old.

Three nights ago.

Gray disappeared three nights ago.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

Not when she was one of _them._

He jammed his fists into his coat pockets, not wanting her to notice how tightly they clenched, the tendons aching as he dug his nails into his palms.

Well, then.

Half a block later, Natsu reached his brownstone apartment, unlocking the door and holding it open for her. "After you, m'lady."

"M'lady? I haven't heard that in a few hundred years," Lucy giggled, slipping past him.

_I bet you haven't._

He pivoted on his heel and followed her up the stairs, palming the sleek silver tucked away within the inner lining of his jacket – eyes trained on her retreating figure.

* * *

"Nice place you have here," Lucy said, wandering towards his ivory couch, casually pulling off her lace gloves and dropping them on a cushion.

Natsu didn't even stop to think, he just _moved._

His nails tore through the fabric of his coat until the familiar metal curled between his fingers. The door slammed shut as he took two great strides towards her, ignoring the rush of blood in his ears, practiced motions spurring him forward. He grabbed her bicep, twisting her around to face him – the long silver dagger aiming straight for her heart.

"Hunter," Lucy hissed, her bare fingers locking around his wrist.

It jarred him, freezing them place in a morbid mockery of an embrace.

"Succubus," Natsu said dully, almost sluggishly, as he peered down at where she touched him.

Flesh on flesh.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the Thrall to start, to succumb to the frenzy of lust where he would be nothing more than a rutting animal for her to fuck and drain.

Nothing happened.

Her fingers were so tight that he could feel how easy it would be for her to break the small bones of his hand.

But other than that, he felt like himself. He didn't become subjugated to her whims. He wasn't bound to her as her plaything.

"Why am I not…?"

"Attacking me in a far different way?" Lucy filled in for him, words monotone and lacking the flirtatious edge from earlier in their evening. "Because I don't want you to be. The thrall is something _I _control."

"But you're touching me without gloves…" he breathed, staring down at her warm fingers.

"So?_ Oh._ You must be old. That yarn has been around for a dog's age." Lucy sighed, gesturing to the discarded accessories. "The gloves are merely an ornamental piece, a costume so to speak. All the best mythologies have their props."

"You're a good actress." Bitterness sat sour on his tongue.

Lucy laughed again and to Natsu's distress, it still was a thing of lilting beauty – still captivating.

"I could start it you know...flip the switch and you'd be mine," Lucy licked her crimson lips, her topaz irises becoming unholy and unnaturally bright. "So why don't you just be a good little Hunter and drop the knife?"

Natsu did as she asked, letting the blade clutter to the floor.

It wasn't his only weapon. Not by a long shot.

"There now," she purred, stepping slightly closer to him so he could feel her hot breath against his neck. "That's much better. Now why don't you just sit down right over there and we'll talk?"

Natsu waited to feel the sliver of compulsion, the command behind her words that would force him to obey her, but…he felt nothing.

_What sort of game was she playing?_

"Sure, Lucy. Whatever you want." He wiggled his hand within her vice-grip as a hint.

She narrowed her eyes, but let him go.

Natsu moved to sit down on the couch. He didn't so much as glance towards the reassuring weight of the gun he felt stuffed between the plush cushions, but he knew it was there.

"So. Let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? Why did you want to kill me?" She asked, moving to sit on the ottoman across from him.

"I'm a Hunter. It's my job to take out the trash," he growled.

Lucy _tsked, _leaning forward slightly in her seat, crossing her arms at the wrists. "But not all the trash. I see you left that little werewolf alone – Sting, wasn't it? And Bacchus, he's a demon, is he not? Yet you and your friends frequent his bar."

He almost slipped and went for the glock right then.

"_I told you, Sting isn't my friend,_" he said hotly.

Lucy rolled her eyes, lashes casting long shadows along her cheeks. "The fact remains, you obviously don't have a vendetta against every supernatural being you come into contact with, so why me?"

"You killed my friend!" he roared, withdrawing the weapon from its hiding place before bringing it up in one smooth motion to fire, aiming the first two shots right at her head.

The sound reverberated as the bullets embedded themselves in the plaster and the recoil pulsed through the tensed muscles in his forearm.

He dimly realized that Lucy was no longer in front of him. She skittered to his side, the motion blurred as she hit him in the shoulder with such force that his limb went instantly numb, the gun thunking to the floor.

Suddenly he felt her behind him, her arm yoking his neck in a chokehold.

"_I _killed your friend?" Lucy whispered into his ear, her voice dripping with seduction despite him clawing at her and trying to buck her off. He couldn't budge her a single inch. Natsu could feel her shrug as she said, "I suppose such things are possible. I'm over a thousand years old. I've killed a lot of people."

"You frigid bitch!" He struggled again, trying to knock his head back into her nose to get her to release him. Instead, she compressed his neck tighter. Stars danced behind his eyelids.

"Calling the succubus a frigid bitch. Oh that's a new one. C'mon Natsu, I know you can do better than that."

He lashed out again, buckling his knees to try to throw her over his shoulder, but she just lifted him off the ground, her arm tightening like a noose. He growled, "I can't believe Gray went along willing with someone like you. He always was the stupidest of us. And now I get to die today because of his idiocy. Typical."

"Gray? Your friend is Gray?" She paused, loosening her hold just a smidge.

He could feel the strain at his temples, though the dark spots in his vision cleared just slightly as he pulled breath into his lungs.

"Yeah...okay? Gray Fullbuster. Black hair, blue eyes, acts like a tragic hero half the time, moping around about how everyone he knew is dead, like that's not the case for the rest of us. He's _young, _hasn't even hit 120 yet, but I suppose picking on the weak is just your style—"

"Shut up. I don't have a _style _and if you stopped blathering for two seconds and actually start listening to me, you might hear me when I say I didn't kill Gray."

Natsu hesitated, his mouth hanging open.

"But you know who did."

It wasn't a question.

Lucy ran one hand up his chest, almost in a caress as she glided up his left pectoral, stopping just to hear his faltering heartbeat. "Gray is alive, Natsu. He went off with my friend Juvia a few nights ago."

"Another one of you? Wow. You guys should start a club. Succubus Fucks 'R' Us. Your tagline can be: _We eat men_."

"_Oh for Mavis' sake,"_ Lucy pushed him away from her and he fell, sprawling out on a floor.

"You're the worst Hunter I've ever met! All _stabby-stab, gunshot-gunshot._ Do your kind ever stop to have an actual _conversation?_ Gray is alive. As in unharmed. Juvia isn't a succubus, she's a mermaid. I think they went to Bora Bora."

Before Natsu could move, Lucy whipped out her phone, swiping at the screen.

"What are you doing?" He asked warily.

"I'm calling Juvia…" she cut off, "Hey Juvs? It's me. Look, I need you to Skype me. Bring Gray..." Lucy paused, listening for a second, then snorted, "I don't care if he's tied up right now. Untie him. I have a friend of his here trying to kill me. What? No, it's not some redhead demon woman, it's somebody named Natsu. Hmm? Yeah, what are the chances, right? I'm cursed for men. No. Okay. Do it now, though. This guy's a Hunter and as pigheaded as they come. Mmh. You got that right. Thanks, doll. See you in a second."

Natsu stayed motionless on the floor as she ended the call.

"_Pigheaded?"_

Lucy stomped over to him, leaning down to study his face so that her hair tickled his chin. "I'm about to show you that your friend is alive and well and what you got out of my entire conversation was the word _pigheaded_. That really says it all, doesn't it?"

She stood, the motion so fast even he couldn't even follow it. He blinked up at her as Lucy gave him a smirk, offering him a hand.

He _really _didn't want to take it, but to refuse would make him seem even more stubborn.

Which he wasn't.

Obviously.

Natsu just got his bearings when Lucy's phone rang. She answered immediately, tossing the device over to him and Gray's face filled the screen.

The pinkette stared for a moment, a mixture of irritation and relief washing over him. "You _bastard_! You're alive!"

Gray carded a hand through his raven locks, looking sheepish. "Uh...yeah. I meant to call you, but I've been super busy. I met a girl named Juvia a couple of nights ago and we really hit it off. Kind of a whirlwind romance thing. She wanted to show me her place."

"Her place in _Bora Bora?"_ Natsu yelped.

Gray averted his eyes, "Yeah, well. You meet the right one, ya know?" His smile became a faint, private thing.

Natsu wanted to smash his face in just for that, trying to stymie the steady twitch to his eye as he glared at the screen.

"Okay. Well, _thanks _for letting me know. Stupid stripper. I'll tell Erza and everyone else. Next time don't leave your phone at home and just walk off, making the rest of us think you've been killed, all right?"

Gray looked properly chastised. "Yeah...got it. Thanks, man…" he trailed off as something caught his attention off screen. "Hey, Juvia. Don't put those away, I thought we were going to try—"

Natsu had never hit the _end _button so fast in his entire life.

He passed Lucy back her phone, feeling embarrassed. "So, you were telling the truth, I guess."

Lucy huffed, slipping it back into her purse. "Yeah, guess so."

An awkward beat of silence filled the room.

Natsu drummed his fingers against his pant leg, daring to meet her gaze. To his surprise, Lucy looked more amused than anything.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I honestly thought Gray was dead. We've been looking for him everywhere. When you showed up at the bar looking all…" he gestured down at her figure, "...and then you said you got into town around the same time as he disappeared..."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I get it. Blame the succubus. Attack first, ask questions later. Don't worry, I'm used to it."

Lucy found her lace gloves, tugging them on.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked.

"Hmm? I'm _leaving,_ Natsu. I mean thanks for trying to both stab me in the heart and shoot me in the head, but what's your encore? Pitchforks and angry villagers? No thanks."

Okay, she had him there.

"Lucy? Can I just ask you one thing before you go?"

She stopped moving, cocking her head to the side, waiting.

"Why didn't you use your powers on me?"

She let out a mirthless laugh. "You're a Hunter and a vampire. I knew what you were the second you came up to me in the bar. But just so you know, succubi don't waste their time draining vampires. Your blood tastes awful and you're soulless creatures."

Natsu bristled at that. "I'm not _soulless_."

"Oh? Are we beginning our relationship based on lies? How very human of us."

When he didn't answer, she found her purse.

He used all the supernatural speed he had to block the door.

"Oh for fucks sake! _What now?" _Lucy tapped her foot impatiently, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You knew what I am?"

She shook her head in disbelief, gold strands wafting around her shoulders like silk and sunlight. "Yes. I told you that. Can I go now?"

He ran a hand through his hair, utterly baffled. "Why did ask me to sit with you? Or come home with me if you knew I'm a Hunter?"

Her mouth twisted up into a grimace. "Because I_ liked _you, okay? And I wanted to."

"You like me?"

"Easy, cowboy. I said _liked _as in past tense."

Natsu saw her fidget, the way her eyes glanced down at his chest.

"You still like me." He felt confident it was true.

"_I swear to Mavis,_ if you don't move away from this door I'm going to break your arm."

He raised his hands in surrender and scurried out of the way. Lucy yanked the door open so hard the hinges groaned.

"I like you too, Lucy."

She gave him such a steel-pinned look that he may as well have been a butterfly impaled through the thorax. "Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it."

She brushed past him and was out on the stoop before he called. "Lucy?"

The blonde looked over her shoulder, arching an eyebrow at him. "What?"

The wind lifted a few strands of her hair straight up before settling some down across her forehead. He watched her scrape them back away from her eyes.

"Look, I screwed up, I know that. But...I'm almost 500 years old and I know women like you don't come around that often." _Or ever, _he added privately to himself. "I know you'll probably say no and I completely understand if you do, but I know I'm going to regret it for centuries if I don't ask. Forget about sex. Forget about everything else. Do you...maybe wanna go for a walk? Start over?"

She canted her head, shading her eyes with one hand as she considered him.

"A walk? It's got to be 2 am, Natsu."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I have a thousand year old succubus to protect me out in the mean streets of Manhattan, isn't it?"

Lucy looked him over, debating. He gave her his most contrite look—full blown puppy eyes with a head tilt—and she snorted.

"Fine. Come along then."

He went to her immediately, breaking into a jog with a huge grin on his face.

"But just so you know, the first pizza place that's open, you're buying me a slice," she told him.

"Fair enough," Natsu said amicably. "This time, why don't you lead the way?"

She held out her hand, no lace glove to be found.

Without hesitation, he took it.

Lucy smiled, slow and sharp. "Good, you're learning."

"I'm quick to adapt usually," he let innuendo seep into his tone.

They hit the pavement and she pulled his arm. He stumbled trying to keep up with her.

She giggled at his slowness and turned to face him, walking backwards with their hands still linked together.

"Let's go on an adventure, Natsu."

* * *

_A/N - Huge thanks must be given to __**Satyrykal**__ who helped me when I was hopelessly stuck on this one-shot. She's more than I deserve, but I'm so grateful for her friendship. __**Satyrykal**__ is a phenomenal writer who has a lot of Nalu stories on FF. Please check her out if you have some time to read an extra story today._

_The title of this fic, __**"These Violent Delights"**__ is a quote from Romeo and Juliet, but more recently seen on the show, Westworld. The full quote is: "These violent delights have violent ends."_

_**Please support other writers participating in Nalu week! We're all given about 2 weeks to write 7 stories. It's a hard challenge!**_

_Also, I didn't realize you were supposed to do the prompts in order until too late. I apologize – I __will__ hit all 7 prompts, but my brain commanded me to write whatever it came up with first. I don't argue, because honestly if you've ever written a story, painted a picture, needed your memory for a test, made a drunken decision, etc., you'll know it's bad business to go against whatever your head is telling you to do. :D_

_**Some writers I know who are participating are: ShanaHollows, wordsaremyspells1331 **and** Professor of Gallifrey. Please check them out.**_

_**Special thanks to my reviewers from last chapter:** __**MissVarta, Fireshifter,**__**ShanaHollows, Slash2104, Professor of Gallifrey, Satyrykal, ken0320, stranger1999**__, __**BrokenAngelWings83**__ as well as all those who favorited and followed._

_**Extra special thanks**__ to __**ABT4LIFE**__ who let me know I hadn't tagged this story properly. I really appreciated you mentioning that, as it does affect who sees my story! _


	3. Chapter 3 - Let My Heart Follow

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: Lost_

**Let My Heart Follow Where My Feet Lead Me**

* * *

"_Getting lost is just another way_

_of saying 'going exploring'."_

— Justina Chen Headley

* * *

"Levy, I told you this was a busy weekend for me. I don't think I can make it." Lucy said, absentmindedly drumming a pen against her notepad.

She loathed D. H. Lawrence and thought _Lady Chatterley's Lover_ was an absolute snoozefest, but Professor Porla wasn't looking for any sort of honesty in his literature analysis class. It was a paint-by-numbers assignment but one she was having trouble completing.

Mostly because it was _so deathly boring._

"Do you want to be the one to tell Erza you're not going to her housewarming party? Because I sure as hell don't." Levy chirruped through the speakerphone.

Well, when the blunette put it that way.

"_Fine_. I'll make a perfunctory appearance but that's all."

Levy laughed. "Fair enough. Okay, I have to go, Gajeel is waiting for me. See you at eight! Bye!"

"Bye, Levs."

The line went dead.

Lucy glanced at the clock. She had four hours left before she needed to shower and get changed. If she didn't stop for breaks, she could probably get the wretched paper finished in that time.

With a heavy sigh, she picked up the dog-eared book once again.

* * *

"I knew I should've taken an Uber…" she muttered. The subway had been the cheaper option and as usual, she was strapped for cash.

Lucy pulled out her phone, dismayed to find it in the red zone at 2% battery life. She quickly typed in Erza's new address, but the damn thing stalled.

"You have got to be shitting me," she muttered, willing the frozen screen to do_ something._

It went black.

Dead.

_That's just perfect._

"Did you need some help? Are you lost?" Came a deep voice behind her.

Lucy turned around, her hand already gripping the bear spray inside her jacket pocket. It was still sunny outside, but this residential neighbourhood didn't seem to see a lot of foot traffic.

Her fingers went numb as her eyes soaked in the sight of the gorgeous man standing there.

He was 6'1" or so, with jade irises and a wide smile that could've been used in a toothpaste ad.

His coral locks were styled in an undercut, with buzzed sides but finger-length strands spiked on top. The undercut hairstyle on men was her greatest weakness, but add in pink hair, sun-kissed skin, broad shoulders, and a fit physique?

Lucy felt her heart rate spike and her knees go weak.

She was something of a body-snob. The blonde didn't like overly muscled men—no body builder-type could turn _her_ pretty little head—but she didn't go for scrawny, either. She was like Goldilocks...if Goldilocks' schtick had been _needs to_ _be buff enough to bang me up against a wall._

… And this guy looked_ jussssst right _for that job_._

"Mgh..abba..schtig?" Lucy mumbled some gibberish, not even hearing herself. She fleeting wondered if he might be a purse-snatcher. If he was, she knew from self-defense class she should throw her purse far away, preferably behind him. It might be worth losing her second-best handbag just to watch him stoop to retrieve it, to see if the back was every bit as fine as the front.

But her phone was out of battery-life.

She wouldn't be able to take a picture of it.

Lucy shook her head, trying to clear it.

_You are one thirsty girl._

"I'm sorry, was that English?" The man asked, his baritone making her toes curl.

_Huh? Had she'd been saying something?_

"It was Greek…" she trailed off. Greek? She didn't know any Greek! Why did she pick _Greek?_

"Pós eísai símera?" He asked her.

Because of course he spoke Greek. He looked like a Greek God after all.

_Rookie mistake to pick his native tongue, Heartfilia._

Luckily, years of travelling with her father had taught her a few basics.

_Had he asked her how she was?_ He definitely raised his voice at the end to form a question mark.

_Or maybe if she was hurt?_ She probably was acting as though she'd suffered a brain injury.

"Ummm...no, I'm great." She hummed, figuring that covered both options.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank goodness you didn't answer in Greek. That's literally the only sentence I know."

Relief washed through her. "Oh? I don't know much, either. I was just...trying to remember what a classmate said to me the other day."

_That sounded plausible, right?_

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, by the way," he said, sticking out his hand.

"Lucy Heartfilia."

When he pressed his fingers into hers, she almost expected there to be a jolt of lightning to smite her or something. Instead, his hand was warm but dry, his grip perfect.

"Pleased to meet you. But _are_ you lost?"

"Hhm?" She had stepped closer and his scent reminded her a forest in a fable – woods and earth and sunshine. He smelled the way ambrosia tasted, she was certain of it.

Lucy glanced down and noticed she was still holding onto him. Worse, she had added her left hand to the equation so that now both her hands were wrapped securely around his.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I must have spaced out for a second!" The blonde stepped away, forcing herself to release the limb that she'd been holding onto like a climbing rope.

She missed it already.

_Bye arm, _she thought wistfully.

They had shared a beautiful moment, though.

Natsu was looking at her strangely and she refocused, snapping to attention.

"And yes, I am lost! I'm supposed to be going to a friend's housewarming party, but I'm not sure how to get there from here. It's on Hillside Bay?"

"Hillcrest?"

"Yeah, I think that's it. 138." The numbers she was sure about.

Natsu chuckled. "There's a coincidence, I'm going there, too."

"Really? You know Erza?"

"Not especially well. I work with her boyfriend, Jellal."

"Oh, I haven't met him yet."

"You haven't? I think they've been dating for something like two years."

"Closer to three, actually. It's a running joke with our group of friends that Erza's boyfriend doesn't even exist. Every time we were supposed to meet up with him, something would happen and the plans got cancelled."

"I can see that. Running your own restaurant is tough work. Jellal is always on the go. Cooking and Erza are definitely the two great loves of his life."

Lucy was glad to hear it. "So are you a chef, too?"

Natsu paused at a 4-way stop to let a BMW roll by. He glanced down at her. "I used to be Jellal's sous chef, but I'm going to be the head chef at the new restaurant he's opening up in the fall."

"Wow, that's impressive. Where's Jellal cook again?"

She'd been hoping to find an outsider to ask this question. Although Erza talked about him a lot, Lucy was bad for remembering small details. Erza had probably told her once three years ago about where her new boyfriend worked, but either she hadn't been paying attention or promptly forgot.

Since then, Erza just said Jellal was coming home from work or _the restaurant._

It had become one of those strange things where the longer the two of them dated, the more embarrassing it would be for Lucy to admit her blunder. All she knew was it was a high-class place, way out of her price range.

Natsu didn't seem to think it odd she didn't know, although he could've easily assumed her and Erza weren't more than casual acquaintances.

"Siegrain's. His new place is called Mystogan."

"Siegrain's?" Lucy yelped. "Oh my god, I went there once. I'm going to baptize my first-born child in their lobster bisque!"

Natsu laughed, full-bellied and unrestrained. "That would be extremely bad for a baby, not to mention a severe violation of every health code."

"You're probably right. I'll just need a vat of soup for myself."

"I'll have to cook it for you sometime."

She grabbed him by the elbow. "Don't toy with a girl's emotions, Natsu."

Natsu stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "I'm serious. Jellal came up with the recipe, but I make it every bit as good as he does."

"Hmh," Lucy made a show of squinting at him to see if he was telling the truth. Natsu returned her gaze with an earnest one of his own.

"To arrange such things, we might have to exchange numbers," she decided.

"We might at that." He didn't smile, but it seemed like one brushed against the edges of his voice. "I'm willing if you are."

"To get that lobster bisque I'd walk over hot coals, sell myself into indentured servitude…"

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second." He flung out his arms like a bird about to take flight. "You're saying I could've gotten _indentured servitude_ from you and all I'm getting now is your number?"

"_Hmm_...well you didn't negotiate," she pointed out.

Natsu stabbed himself in the heart. "They say never accept the first offer, but I hadn't realized you'd raise the stakes _that _high."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he waved one hand, reaching with the other into his back pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Don't list anything else, my poor heart can't take it. Your digits, please." He handed the device to her.

Lucy punched in her number, then texted herself. "That way I have your info once my phone is charged," she explained, handing it back to him.

Natsu took it and quickly typed something else. The telltale _whoosh _of a text message going out sounded.

"You just texted me, didn't you?"

"Yup." He said with a smug grin on his face.

"Are you going to tell me what it says?"

"Nope."

"Natsu!" Lucy launched herself at him, tickling his ribs.

"Hey, get off!" He started shaking with laughter.

"Tell me!"

"Fine! I give up! Cease! Desist!"

She halted her attack.

"Siegrain's is closed on Mondays, but I thought you might want to come for dinner there. It would just be the two of us, but Jellal wouldn't mind if I borrow the place." Natsu offered. A tiny bit of uncertainty crept into his tone, as if he'd sent the text on impulse but now was questioning himself.

Lucy practically danced with joy.

It was singularly the most romantic gesture of her entire life.

"Really?"

Who _was _this guy?

Natsu chuckled, looking relieved she was being so enthusiastic. "Yeah. I thought I'd ask you out. I come bearing soup."

She tried to think of what she could offer that would equal his generosity.

"I could…" she thought hard, "make a latte for us after we eat. I used to be a barista. I even know a few good recipes if you prefer booze in it."

It seemed inadequate, but Natsu's eyes glowed.

"That sounds perfect. I never could figure out how to work that damn espresso machine."

At the next street, Natsu turned left and she followed.

"You see that house there? That's where we're going," he told her.

Lucy glanced towards where he was pointing. She hadn't been paying much attention to the dwellings they'd passed, except to note that they were spaced pretty far apart and seemed big.

"Erza lives_ here_ now?"

It wasn't a home, it was a _mansion. _Queen Anne style – it was all blush and ivory, pretty as a bride. The frothy lace moldings could be the veil, skirting delicately around the band of the eavestroughs. With a cornered turret on the right side and lavish spindlework all around each window, it was stately, elegant and regal.

"Wow...this is my dream house!" Lucy said, taking in the gabled rooftop, the intricate columns at the doorway.

The blonde started to reevaluate all her life choices. True, she was only 25 to Erza's 27 and the redhead was a lawyer, not a struggling grad student, but Lucy knew she would never be able to afford such an opulent home in her entire life.

"Lucy, are you coming?" Natsu asked when she just stood on the porch.

She was busy trying to absorb all the history that came from being near a place such as this. How many feet had climbed these same steps? How many hands had touched the bannisters?

"Lucy?" Natsu probed again.

"Sorry. I just...I love houses like this. I feel like the woodwork alone has watched a dozen generations pass, holding all their secrets."

She stopped short when she realized how she must sound—probably like a complete weirdo—but Natsu just gave her a soft look.

"Take all the time you want. I'm in no hurry."

Lucy felt a flood of gratitude at his words. "It's okay, I'm sure we're running late."

Natsu scoffed. "Forget about them. You wanna look? We can look. Want to walk around the back? Get the whole feel of the place?"

She shook her head from her reverie. "No, I'm sure. Erza lives here now. I'll have plenty of chances to visit."

"Okay then. Come on, I'll introduce you to Jellal," he said, offering her his hand, palm up.

She took it.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah, Lucy?"

"I'm glad you found me."

He tightened his fingers.

"I'm glad I found you, too."

* * *

_**A/N – **_**"Pós eísai símera?" translates to "How are you today?" (According to Google translate.)**

_**Sorry this is so short! Writing 7 individual stories in two weeks is difficult! **__**I had a big plan about them going into the party, but this was such a sweet end-note that I decided to keep this a drabble and move along.**_

_**Big shoutout and love to my incredible friend and editor, Satyrykal. She's honestly kept me going this week. She's the hero I don't deserve.**_

_**Erza's house is based on a real house. Just type The Pink Lady Eureka California into Google and it's there, if you're interested. I love old things, but especially old architecture! **_

_**A few other writers are doing Nalu Week! Please check out ShanaHollows, wordsaremyspells1331 and Professor of Gallifrey!**_

_**Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed. I love the feedback and am genuinely flattered so many of you have wanted either of my first two one-shots turned into full stories.**_

_**Thanks to my reviewers from last time! BrokenAngelWings83, Professor of Gallifrey, Slash2104, nakosasame, Bakers28, ShanaHollows, Lucy, JAKEDSNAKE (x2!), Xo, stranger1999 (x2), and FireShifter!**_


	4. Chapter 4 - On the Road

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: On The Road_

**On the Road**

* * *

"_Climb the mountain not to plant your flag,_

_but to embrace the challenge,_

_enjoy the air and behold the view._

_Climb it so you can see the world,_

_not so the world can see you."_

— David McCullough

* * *

"Natsu?" A pretty dental hygienist with violet hair called, scanning the waiting area with a clipboard in hand.

A mother sat with her teenage son further down the row of chairs. She passively glanced up, but the teenager didn't – too immersed in his phone.

"I'm Natsu," he said, standing and shoving the copy of Sports Illustrated he was reading back into the magazine rack.

"You can come in," the woman replied, leading the way down the slim corridor.

As he passed the exam rooms, Natsu noted the other patients sprawled out on their dental chairs with hygienists doing cleanings, the high-pitched _whirrrr_ of their drills buzzing cheerfully. Near the end of the row, he spied a middle-aged man clenching his fist tightly who was definitely not enjoying himself.

Natsu winced in sympathy, rubbing his own jaw as a sharp pang shot through it.

"Here you are," The young woman directed him to the last room on the right. Natsu gingerly sat on the chair before raising his feet up to lounge back and making himself comfortable.

After a few rote questions, she put the x-ray apron on him and took a few pictures. She nodded to herself before telling him Dr. Heartfilia would be by to check on him in a moment.

Natsu didn't even have time to fidget before a blonde woman swept into the room, her white lab coat pristine, a friendly smile playing on her full ruby lips.

Natsu felt like the air has been knocked right out of him.

She had an hourglass figure, gently sloping breasts and a tiny waist. He couldn't fully see the curve of her hips with the long jacket in the way, but he could well imagine that men would chew through fiberglass just for one taste of her skin.

Men like him.

He sat up a little straighter, rolling his shoulders back.

"Mr. Dragneel, I'm Lucy." She extended a lily-white hand and he shook it, the faintest notes of orange blossom hanging in the air between them. He inhaled deeply.

"It's Dr. Dragneel actually, but you can just call me Natsu."

She arched a brow. "Of course, Natsu it is."

Lucy turned to the hygienist, brisk and all business.

"Laki, can you pull up his x-rays?" She asked, before returning her attention to him with a well-practiced smile. Unsurprisingly, they were bright white and straight.

"Natsu, if you just want to lean back, I'm going to take a look inside your mouth."

Laki fiddled with a few buttons and his x-rays came up on the computer screen. Lucy pushed the foot pedal to adjust his chair so that he lay flat, then lowered it until he was comfortably below her elbows, snapping on latex gloves.

"Here you are," Laki murmured deferentially.

Lucy glanced at the monitor. "Hmmm...Laki, let me see the other picture of 44, please."

The hygienist located the correct image zoomed in on the row of teeth, the molars cloudy looking so close up.

"Ah, there we go. Your tooth is cracked, Natsu." Lucy hummed, peering at him, angling the mouth mirror for a better view.

"Yeah. I thought so. Stupid stripper," he muttered when she removed it.

He startled a little when Laki dropped a metal tray holding instruments, the crashing sound jarring in the small space.

"Sorry, Dr. Heartfilia!" she squeaked, hurriedly picking up the tools and placing them in the sink.

"It's alright, Laki. Just make sure you disinfect everything," Lucy reassured calmly. To Natsu she was all smiles, her face clear of judgement despite her assistant's reaction.

"A stripper cracked your tooth? Believe it or not, this definitely isn't the first time I've seen that happen."

His forehead crinkled.

"What kind of...oh, right._ Vegas." _He chuckled. "Well, in my case it wasn't an_ actual_ stripper. Just a guy who likes to take off his clothes a lot. We're in town for his bachelor party."

"Ahh, stag night. Say no more."

Natsu grinned, sharp incisors visible between his lips.

"I know what you're thinking – bunch of guys, road trip to Vegas, shenanigans ensue. I _wish _it was a cool story like that."

That caught her attention as she canted her head, long hair glinting silver under the observation light above them.

"Oh yeah, what happened?"

"Gray—that's the idiot stripper—is getting married next week. I've never been here before, so everyone said they'd show me the ropes. Last night after a few drinks we hit up the casino and I started playing this machine and it starts flashing and making a bunch of noise. I get super excited, yell at the other guys to come over, that I won."

"Congratulations." Her eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. It was really pretty.

And distracting.

What was he saying again? Oh, right.

"_Thank you. _Well, I guess I didn't realize I was playing a penny machine when it said 1280 credits…"

"...and you had won only $12.80," she finished for him, biting the inside of her cheek slightly as if to smother another smile.

He drummed his fingers across ridges of his abdomen, feeling the flush creep onto his cheeks. "Actually I didn't. I had put $50 into the machine so I really hadn't won anything. But I didn't_ know _that."

Lucy broke at that and laughed, and somehow, he became even more attracted. The sound was bright and joyous as the first trills of summer birdsong.

Feeling emboldened, he continued as he gesticulated his points with his hands. "So Gray got all mad, but then to make things worse, we heard a big commotion a few rows over and it turned out some old lady won a big jackpot for over twenty grand. Gray went to look and apparently it was on the same machine he'd been playing before I had called him. He said he was just about to feed another hundred into it before I started screaming that I won."

Lucy gave a commiserating nod. "I feel bad for your friend, but that sort of thing happens all the time. It's his fault for not saving the machine. If you have cash in it or put your chair up, no one will touch it."

He threw his hands up in the air, shifting the bib on his chest slightly.

"_That's what I said!_ Well, not me. I had no idea what the etiquette was, but Gajeel told him that..._after_ Gray punched me."

"That sounds rough," Laki agreed, her glasses bobbing on her nose as she nodded sympathetically.

Natsu had forgotten she was even in the room, so intent was his focus on gorgeous blonde at his side.

He blew out a breath. "I should've known something like that was going to happen. I swear, the whole time we were on the road getting here, we were having the best time. It's rare for all seven of us to get together, ya know? We were rolling up in Gajeel's minivan feeling like rock stars. Everything was going great. Then I get clocked in the face and Gray and I got kicked out of the casino."

He sagged into his seat then, bangs fallen in his eyes as he glanced up at her.

"They take fighting pretty seriously here," She told him, then scooted her chair a bit closer. "I haven't heard of anyone being punched out over $12, so that's a new one. Good story. But…" she gestured over at the X-ray screen. "I'm sorry to tell you that you're going to need a crown, Natsu."

"I've always wanted to be royalty." He snorted.

She pinned him with a dry look. "Droll. Very droll. You have two options. You can hang in there until you get back home and go see your own dentist, or I can make you a temporary cap for now."

"How long does the temporary last for?"

"It depends on a lot of things, but chewing hard foods can cause the temporary one to pop off. _Or_ being punched in the face," she added slyly.

He sputtered but Lucy continued in a crisp tone, "Since your tooth is a premolar at the back of your mouth, it's not as big of an issue if you lose the temporary one sooner than expected. Just don't swallow it if it pops off. We'll have the finished crown in two weeks."

Natsu mulled it over, he could either leave now or have an excuse to come back and see her in two weeks.

It was an easy decision.

"Might as well do it now," He tried to play for cool, but his voice cracked like he was fourteen again.

The hygienist piped in then, hopefully distracting the doctor from his adolescent squeak.

"Dr. Heartfilia, but what about—"

"—Laki, can I get you to take an impression of the tooth and then we'll get started?"

She looked surprised but did as she was asked. Lucy swapped some numbing agent on his gums, then froze him, leaving for a few minutes afterwards to go check on some other patients.

He spent the moment testing out his jaw, opening and closing it as the tell-tale tingle of localized anesthesia spread in his mouth. He smacked his lips shut abruptly as the head of blonde hair returned in his peripheral.

"All numb?" She asked as she came back through the threshold. "Even your lips from the centre of your mouth?"

"Yup, good to go."

"Great, let's get started. If you feel any pain, just let me know and I'll stop." Lucy reached up to adjust the exam light and got to work.

After about an hour, she glanced up at Laki. "Why don't you go grab your lunch? I can finish up here."

"Sure. Thanks."

After her assistant left, Lucy kept poking and prodding him a bit more before finally setting the temporary crown in place. He took a moment to run his tongue over the smooth surface. Grateful when the sting of pain that had accompanied it did not follow.

"Okay, Natsu, let's see your bite."

He gave her a salacious grin, dimples framing his lips as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Let's see you buy me a drink first."

She chuckled again, but it was tempered – still professional. "You're funny. Now bite down for me."

He did, trying to convey with his eyes just how obedient he could be.

Lucy bit her lip, a faint snort escaping before he realized he'd just mentioned how disciplined of a pet he'd be for her_ out loud._

_Somebody kill me._

"How's that feel?" Lucy asked, a sparkle of mischief seemed to underlay her words.

"Good."

"Wonderful, then you're all set. Just find Melissa at the front and she'll make your next appointment."

"Sure." He tried not to feel too crestfallen at the subtle dismissal. He was her patient, afterall.

Before he could move out the door, she threw a question at him, "Just out of curiosity, what type of doctor are you?"

He retreated back toward her. "I'm a dermatologist."

Lucy braced her hands back against the counter leaning against it with a hum. "Mmm...interesting choice. What made you pick that?"

Gold-flecked jade lit up – wide and bright as the corner of his mouth pulled up involuntarily.

"When I was a kid I had eczema and it was all red and itchy, but I thought it looked cool, like dragon scales. By the time my dad noticed, it was all down my arms, my chest, the backs of my knees. The doctor who treated me was pretty cool. She gave me a book on all sorts of gross skin diseases, which I loved, and that was that."

She threw her head back, startled laughter bubbling out of her, the pale curve of her neck visible as she considered him – nose crinkling in humour.

"That's a _fantastic_ story. Mine's so boring. My grandfather was a dentist, my dad's a dentist, _I'm _a dentist."

"For what it's worth, you did a great job."

"You were frozen, you have no idea what I did. For all you know, I might have carved my initials on your molars." She said flippantly, lips quirking.

_Was she flirting with him?_

He hoped so.

"You say that like it's a bad thing, besides then I could just repay the favour and put my initials on your skin," he challenged.

"I think that's a tattoo artist's job, not a dermatologist's."

"I don't think teeth carving is _anyone's job_...unless you're a serial killer."

"You got me. A good bicuspid and I'm filled with overwhelming desire_ and _homicidal rage..."

Natsu chuckled, veins buzzing with excess energy as he moved closer to her. Pupils blown wide at the attention. He licked his lower lip, pulling at it with his teeth as his gaze dropped to hers.

"Well, if you're filled with overwhelming desire, I can help you out there."

Her mouth twitched, burnished amber glinting in her irises as she batted her long lashes in exaggeration, settling comfortably into the banter, cocking her hip to the side with a grin.

His smile mimicked hers.

He was starting to feel like a teenager again, but unlike last time, he welcomed it. He allowed the giddy rush to wash over him, his palms sweaty.

It had been years since he'd felt this carefree around someone or fallen into such easy conversation.

"But what about my homicidal rage?" she quipped.

"I can channel that, too. Healthily."

"You don't say, Dr. Dragneel."

"I _do _say, Dr. Heartfilia."

As they stood there, laughing quietly in that room, with the_ whirrrr_ of the drills and the chatter of the office fading into the background, little did they know what the road ahead of them would bring.

How a cracked premolar and a Vegas road trip would lead to another set of _I do's_ in the years ahead.

And on that day, surrounded by a cacophony of church bells and a frothy river of white roses, the officiant declared them man and wife.

"You may now kiss the bride."

A loud whoop went up from their families and friends as Natsu dipped her down low, pausing as her hair brushed the ground.

"What do you say? Too late to back out now?" he teased.

"Sure you could, if you want me to ask Gray to punch you again. Then you can get a whole set of dentures, a new dentist_ and_ a new wife."

"Nah, think I'm good."

"So are you going to kiss me now or what? I've kind of been left hanging here a while." Lucy gave a significant glance towards the pulpits where everyone was staring at them in puzzlement.

"Yeah, I'm going to kiss you."

So he did.

And. There. Was. _Tongue_.

* * *

_**A/N – Not going to lie, this was the hardest prompt for me so far, and that includes the fact that I had to scrap and rewrite Lost twice (third time was the charm), and that I had the beginning and ending of Cursed but couldn't figure out the middle. (Satyrykal came in, brainstormed like **__**crazy**__** helping me, pulled me out of the fire, wrapped me in a blanket, and gave me a kiss on the forehead like the blessing from the goddess she is.)**_

_**Then Satyrykal came in **__**again**__** and somehow (don't ask me how), pulled me together, edited this into some semblance of a story, stitched it up like a goddamn army medic and managed to get me laughing when I was despairing and down.**_

_**I encourage everyone to read her stories, because she gives this sort of love and care to all her writing and her Nalu fics are phenomenal.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited or reviewed! This is the 4th story published! Over halfway there now!**_

_**Other Nalu Week writers to slake the insatiable thirst are: ShanaHollows, wordsaremyspells1331, and Professor of Gallifrey! **_

_**Cheers to my lovely reviewers from last time! ShanaHollows, Fireshifter, MissVarta, Lovetoreadff (x3!), Professor of Gallifrey, aliciacevbra, stranger1999, Lucy, beachbumbabe, and Ember Reverie!**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Satisfaction Guaranteed

_Beta: Satyrykal _

_Prompt: Trial_

_Natsu's age: 26_

_Lucy's age: 24_

**Satisfaction Guaranteed**

* * *

"_I fell in love the way you fall asleep:_

_slowly, and then all at once."_

— John Green

* * *

"I'll take it!" Lucy said, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

"You'll love it, ma'am, it's one of our best models," the clerk replied, his eyes oozing over the blonde's figure.

"Lucy, no," Natsu intervened, shaking his head even as the coral strands of his fringe drifted back into his eyes. He couldn't take her _anywhere _without her wanting to buy something. Even a sporting goods store.

"What? I can if I want to," Lucy said, jutting out her chin defiantly despite the singsong tone coating her words.

Natsu rolled his eyes at her, then turned back to the salesman as he leaned on the edge of the machine. "Sorry to have wasted your time, but we're just looking today."

"Natsu! I _love_ this treadmill! I have to get it!"

As if to prove a point, Lucy jumped back on the conveyor belt, running a hand over the sleek buttons and ratcheting up the speed to maximum without pause – only for it to fling her backwards with a yelp. Flailing her arms to regain balance, she threw her torso forward to grasp the handlebars. Fingers sweatier than they should be without exercise, she jammed the arrow to adjust the sprint until it slowed down enough so that she was able to walk briskly.

Natsu cackled at her, but she gave him the finger, her smile victorious as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Never mind that she was wearing wedge sandals and a lavender sundress and looked absolutely ridiculous huffing away.

(Gorgeous, but ridiculous.)

"You don't need a treadmill," Natsu repeated, the corner of his lips still twitching in amusement.

"Sir, if I may? This treadmill comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If you and your wife aren't satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you can always bring it back, no questions asked," the man offered.

That sobered him back up, mouth falling flat.

"We're not married—," Natsu began.

"—We're not a couple," Lucy chimed in at the same moment, "We're best friends."

The salesman blinked, taking in the easy banter and the way both of them canted their heads ever so slightly towards each other.

"Oh _really?"_

_And here we go again..._

Natsu's jaw clenched as he watched the clerk's eyes darken with interest as he edged closer to Lucy. The slimy bastard. Natsu read the man's name tag – Orga.

_Thick fucker, _Natsu assessed automatically.

Orga had at least five inches on him and no less than fifty pounds. The man was massively built – defined muscles straining under an aqua polo that almost matched the teal of his wild locks. He had his hair pushed back with a black headband and his neck was so wide he couldn't do up the top button of his collar.

Natsu could tell at a glance that this man wouldn't be as easy to intimidate as most of the idiots who tried to pick up Lucy.

The pinkette grinned, canines visible from behind his lips. He was always up for a challenge.

"Luce, we just came here to pick up new boxing gloves for me, remember?" Natsu held up the ones he'd chosen. He hadn't the faintest idea how the hell they'd even ended up in the equipment section. "Besides, I know you. That treadmill will be gathering dust in your apartment and you'll just be using it as a clothes rack in no time."

She gasped, one hand reaching up to clutch the pearls she definitely wasn't wearing.

"But Natsu, it has a water bottle holder!" Lucy wheedled dramatically, her amber irises widening to absurdly cute proportions.

Luckily, Natsu was immune to her puppy-dog eyes.

Mostly...

...alright, whatever. Not at all. So sue him. He'd dare any red-blooded male to try saying no to her when she pulled out all the stops.

"Pretty sure that's standard equipment on all treadmills, Luce."

She stepped off the machine, ignoring his comment entirely, only to grab onto his bicep and pull him over to the control panels, pointing at one.

"And it has Bluetooth! You love Bluetooth!"

He did, but he wasn't going to be distracted by her ample charms. Besides, he jogged outside so he didn't see the appeal.

"You'll never use it."

"You don't know that. Besides, 30 day money back guarantee, right?" Lucy confirmed with Orga, one hand resting on her hip as she twisted to look at him.

"That's right, miss. If you get it home and decide you don't like it, you can return it. Tell you what, I'll even throw in free delivery and I can set it up for you."

_Yeah, I'll bet you can._

Lucy beamed, poking the pinkette in the ribs with her elbow. "See, Natsu? Can't beat that!"

He scowled, fingers digging into the leather flesh of his gloves as he strung them over his shoulder by the laces.

"Luce, let's just go grab a smoothie so you can think it over before you decide to drop a couple grand on something like this, okay?"

Both Lucy and Orga looked like they wanted to argue with him, but Natsu crossed his arms and gave his best friend _the look._

"_Fiiiiiiine,"_ Lucy relented with a pout, returning her attention to the other man as she drifted away from the treadmill.

"We'll be back," she promised Orga.

_We won't, _Natsu thought, but knew better than to say that out loud lest Lucy decided to buy the damn thing just to spite him.

Which she very well might. She definitely had her moments of bullheadedness.

Orga seemed to realize his sales commission was slipping away.

"At least let me give you my business card, that way if you have any questions, you can just call me." Orga said smoothly, handing it to Lucy. The company name was stamped on top, along with his full name, Ogre Ninnypacker or some shit like that. Natsu wasn't really looking.

"Of course, thank you," Lucy said, tucking it into her dress pocket.

Lucy had made a huge deal about them when he'd picked her up today, twirling like a ballerina before adding, 'Look! It has pockets!' as the _pièce de résistance._

"And perhaps I can have your number?" Orga gave a cocky smile and rolled his shoulders, as if trying to make his already hulking form appear even larger.

Natsu figured if he had an animal spirit, it had to be a dragon. And no self-respecting dragon would back down to some WWE reject.

_I'm not a bear, that's not going to scare me away, buddy._

"My...my...number?" she stammered.

Natsu snickered at her obvious embarrassment. Lucy was asked out at least twice a day. Although she was aware that she was a beautiful woman and wore outfits that showed off her all her assets, she still seemed shocked when guys hit on her.

Every. Single. Time.

Natsu wasn't sure how a woman as smart as she was could be that oblivious about male interest, but there it was.

It was sort of adorable.

"Ya know what? I don't really need new gloves yet. I'll wait until these go on sale," Natsu interrupted, dropping the boxing gloves into Orga's hands. The taller man looked as though he wanted to throw them to the floor and go twelve rounds bare-fisted just for Natsu cockblocking him.

Natsu couldn't resist, he grabbed Lucy's hand and tugged her towards him. She thumped against his side, all soft curves and sweet orchid scent drifting up to his nostrils. She was used to him hugging her at odd times, so didn't question it.

"Then what was the point of coming to the mall?" Lucy asked, tilting her head up to look at him beneath long gilded lashes.

Huh, she had him there.

"You're right, Luce. I take it back." Natsu let her go and snagged the gloves back from the clerk, grabbing them by the laces to swing them back towards him. It didn't bother him in the least when they cuffed him unceremoniously against the head.

"I'm sorry, I'm not comfortable giving my number to strangers," Lucy told Orga.

The man shrugged, accepting her decision graciously. "I understand, but I still hope to see you again soon."

"Yeah, she'll let you know. Come on, Luce." Without a backward glance, Natsu navigated her to the front of the store where a teenage girl rang up his purchase.

They ambled their way to Jamba Juice, each paying for their own drink.

Predictably, ten seconds after sitting down, Lucy said, "I'm definitely getting that treadmill, Natsu."

He bit down on his straw to avoid groaning.

"Luce, you wouldn't use it."

"If I don't use it in the first two weeks at least four times a week, I'll return it. How's that?"

Natsu groaned anyway, sucking back another sip of green smoothie. "You are the_ queen _of not returning stuff. How many times have you gotten suckered into a _'30 day free trial_'?"

"None?"

"Oh ho-_ho_, how soon we forget! What about your Netflix subscription?"

"I needed that to watch Stranger Things."

"You watched every single episode at my house!"

"I can't help it if you have the 60" high definition TV with surround sound, Natsu."

"What about the gym membership you got last year and used—_what_?—five times? That had a two week free trial, too. And you're _still _paying for it eight months later! Why do you need a treadmill when you can just go workout?"

Lucy's cheeks went pink and she nervously twisted the end of her straw, her free hand making idle swirls in the condensation that had collected at the base of her cup.

"That gym's too far away," she muttered so low he almost didn't catch it. He rolled his eyes at her.

"It's ten minutes from your house!"

"Yeah, but in the opposite direction from my regular route," Lucy said with conviction, as if this argument made perfect sense.

He snorted, lounging back in his seat to look at her fully. "Which is exactly why I'm trying to stop you from wasting your money."

"Meanie," Lucy said, sticking out her tongue at him. "But maybe I would like working out more if I could do it from home! That way I could watch shows on Netflix while working up a sweat!"

She slammed her flat palm on the table in emphasis, the way a judge would bring down a gavel.

Natsu chuckled. "Yeah, I know you think you'll be killing two birds with one stone here, but you're the one who gives me the death glare if I so much as hit pause to go to the bathroom."

Lucy flapped a hand at him as if his argument was inconsequential. "You wander around too much. I need to hear the dialogue all in one go or I'm scared I'll miss something important. It ruins the _continuity._"

"But you're suddenly going to be _jogging _and absorbing the storyline?" He asked incredulously, "With sweat in your eyes and a treadmill making noise? _You? _Who once dumped an entire bowl of popcorn on my head because I sneezed once?"

"Dustin was talking! You know he has the funniest lines!"

"It was a _sneeze! _I couldn't help it!" He protested. "Besides, you're just proving my point. You _hate _any sort of background noise or movement when you're watching a show..._or _reading," he added for good measure.

"I'll use the Bluetooth and listen to music."

Natsu gave a long-suffering sigh. "Luce, just think this through. We've been down this road before. What about that 'free' credit report that ended up costing you $15 a month for...how many months?"

Lucy turned crimson, averting her gaze so that she was studying the tabletop. Her voice came out in a small squeak.

"Three."

"I don't know why you wanted a credit report anyway," he groused. "You already knew your credit is lousy."

"The commercial sucked me in. It was super catchy and I was curious," she lamented, taking a sip of her strawberry smoothie.

"How about that meal-planning service that had a 14-day free trial where they delivered fresh groceries to your door with the recipes in the box? You never wound up using that either because you don't cook."

"Hey, I got that for both of us! Don't blame me for you always coming over to raid my fridge! I was _trying _to be a good friend. And what about you? I can't help it if every time you try to make supper you set off the fire alarm!"

"_Me?_ You once burned jello," Natsu reminded her.

"I was making a vodka cake! Who knew that it was _only _supposed to have jello in it?"

"I don't know why you thought mixing a box of Betty Crocker with premade jello was a good idea in the first place."

"I blame the vodka."

"Fair enough. But admit it, Luce. You never return or cancel anything during the free trial and it always ends up costing you money."

"Okay, _okay!_" Lucy held up her hands in defeat. "I _won't _get the treadmill. Are you happy now?"

"Very."

They sipped their drinks quietly for a couple of minutes, Lucy checking her phone. Natsu watched her as she scrunched her brow, fingers flying over the keyboard. He took one last draught from his shake, until even the dredges were gone, before he broke the easy silence.

"Hey, Luce?"

"Yeah?" She fired off a text, sparing him a brief glance.

"I've got an offer for you…"

"An offer?" Lucy sat up straighter, laying her device facedown on the table. "That sounds ominous. Okay, what is it?"

He chewed the inside of his cheek. "What if we were to date?"

A beat, then—.

"Huh?" Her jaw unhinged and her eyes widened.

"Us. Going out. We could have a trial run."

She cocked her head at him, her tongue running over her lips as if she were suddenly parched. "A trial run?"

"Yeah, like all those stupid things you buy…"

"...30 days or my money back?"

He fidgeted in his seat for a moment before straightening from his slouch abruptly. He leaned his forearms against the table, drumming his fingers nervously on the surface.

"Yeah. Sort of. But more like we're best friends and if we try dating and it doesn't work out, we can go back to being friends?"

"Those are the terms and conditions?"

"Yes?"

Lucy got so quiet that Natsu almost wanted to take it back. He bit his bottom lip hard to keep the words from coming out.

"I didn't know you liked me that way," she hedged.

He exhaled and screwed his courage to the sticking place. "I do. I have for a long time. I just didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Same."

Her words shook him to the core. He paused for a moment, to confirm that the sentence had really escaped her lips.

"You mean...you like me?_ Like_ like me?"

Lucy laughed.

The sound seemed to sink into his bones and settle, curling up in some warm, quiet place close to his heart.

She nodded emphatically. "Definitely. You're hot."

He chuckled, a deep vibration in his chest as the tension left him.

"I'm so glad you want me just for my body, Luce."

She smacked him on the shoulder, but her smile was bright and her tawny irises were dredged with honey, lit up from within.

"I like this idea," she said.

He couldn't believe it. He'd been trying to think up a way to proposition Lucy for _months. _Excitement coursed through his veins. "So, we're doing this? We're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"Sure." Lucy said it so casually, so easily, that she took his breath away.

Natsu wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next. Kissing her in the middle of a food court didn't seem appropriate.

"Uh...fist bump?"

"You don't fist bump your girlfriend when she agrees to go out with you, Natsu."

He scratched his head. "Do you want to go to Victoria Secret and pick out some lingerie?"

"Still the wrong thing to say."

Natsu stood, crumpling up his empty cup, exasperated. It didn't help when a few droplets of juice splashed over his knuckles.

"Help me out, Luce."

Expression carefully neutral, the blonde got out of her seat and brushed the side of her body against him, capturing his hand. It sent a bolt of electricity up his arm, sparking in his veins.

She gave an impish grin. "How's that?"

"It's good," he breathed.

Lucy smirked, pressing herself even closer until he could feel the outline of her figure against his back. She trailed her fingertips down his spine.

Then very slowly, very deliberately – she reached down to squeeze his ass.

"I have wanted to do that for far too long," she murmured into his neck, nipping at his earlobe as she pulled away.

He growled, the timber rasping as he swirled her around to face him. He lifted her high in the air so that her legs automatically wrapped around his hips. Spectators be damned.

He wanted to kiss her.

Natsu craned down as she tightened her grip, cupping his neck to arch forward. Just before their lips touched, some teenage punk let out a whoop and catcalled: "Yeah Pinky, you get some of that luscious ass!"

Lucy giggled, jerking her head back. She noticed other people staring at them, disapproval etched on their faces.

"Natsu, we're making a scene."

"So?" He tried to chase her mouth again.

Her voice was low and intimate – the tone more of a promise than the actual words. "So put me down."

He did as she asked.

Reluctantly, with a small whine when she slid sensually down his length, but he did it.

Letting her step away showed remarkable restraint, he was certain. However, Natsu felt about as self-congratulatory as the kid who comes in last place during a race but still gets a participant ribbon.

"You know, I did enjoy that...you grabbing me that way," Lucy admitted, whisper-sweet so only he could hear.

He perked up. "You did?"

"Definitely. It just might be better in a more...private setting."

(Was he grinning? He felt like he might be grinning.)

"Sure thing, Luce."

Hand-in-hand, they started walking towards the exit.

"And just so _you_ know – in the bedroom, your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed," he said with an exaggerated wink, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"You are_ such_ a dork."

"You love it," Natsu told her, interlocking their fingers together, enjoying how even the simplest touch seemed to have a deeper meaning now.

He glanced up briefly as they passed a familiar store front, nudging Lucy's shoulder to direct her attention. "Are you sure you don't want to hit up Victoria Secret? My treat."

"_Maybe…"_ she laughed, but then tugged her dress aside at the shoulder to reveal a glimpse of crimson lace bra strap. "Unless you think this will do?"

Lucy squealed as Natsu picked her up bridal style and literally ran, carrying her straight down the escalator and right out of the mall.

* * *

In the end, Lucy used her _30 day free trial_ so vigorously that Natsu claimed she voided the warranty and had to keep him.

To celebrate, they went to Victoria Secret.

(Natsu treated.)

* * *

_**A/N - All free trials listed here are real. The NordicTrack offers a 30-day money back guarantee. Netflix has the first month free. FreeCreditReport was popular about 10 years ago with late-night jingles (super catchy), but was $14.95 a month if you didn't cancel within the first month.**_

_**The gym membership is more generalized, but when I joined the gym, they had a two week trial offer. It seems commonplace. Same with the meal-planning service (which I just Googled), but had a bunch of different ones pop up with free trial offers, as well.**_

_**Thanks must be given to Satyrykal. I'm sincerely grateful to have her encouragement and editorial skills – she makes everything so much better.**_

_**Satyrykal writes these phenomenal stories, all Nalu, all breathtakingly beautiful. Please check her out!**_

_**Stranger Things Season 3 started yesterday (July 4!)**_

_**I hope you enjoyed the Trial Prompt for Nalu week! I'll be back tomorrow with Stranger.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time! ShanaHollows, FireShifter, Lucy, Satyrykal (x2), Lovetoreadff, JAKEDSNAKE (x2), aliciacevbra, Miss Varta, BrokenAngelWings83 (x3!), **__and __**stranger 1999! **_

_**I appreciate your kind words and support!**_


	6. Chapter 6 - Stranger

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: Stranger_

**Stranger**

* * *

"_She was just another girl_

_who liked to play with magic._

_And he was a boy,_

_in need of a reason_

_to believe in it."_

— a.r. lucas

* * *

Lucy had just finished twisting part of her freshly washed hair into a messy bun when her phone buzzed with a new text. She reached down to glance at it as her friend rounded the corner of the changing room, leotard slung over her shoulder.

"Hey Lu, want to go for dinner tonight?" Levy asked, shoving a towel into her backpack.

The blonde scanned her message, a pang of dismay flooding her veins. Her friend paused, still waiting for a response. Lucy wet her lips before raising her screen between them. Mutely, she showed Levy what it said.

The small blunette's posture slumped, a grimace on her lips.

"Oh Lu, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her praline irises troubled. Lucy just shrugged even as her heart stuttered and squeezed in her chest. She rubbed her palm against her breast absently to ward off the too familiar ache.

"Thanks, Levs. Honestly though, I'm not sure why I expected anything else from him."

Levy hesitated, a wrinkle set between her brows.

"Want to still go grab a bite to eat? Maybe a margarita to go with it?"

Lucy shoved her phone back into her purse, then took a long swig from her water bottle as she stalled to frame a polite refusal. She swallowed thickly.

"Is it okay if I take a raincheck? I really just feel like being alone tonight."

Her best friend laid a reassuring hand on her arm. "Of course."

Staring straight ahead at her locker, Lucy fought the sting of tears that threatened, grateful when the blunette quietly left before they could fully form. Lucy warred within herself, trying to fight off old bitterness and fresh disappointment.

She wanted to slam doors, throw things, _scream_ until her voice was raw.

She wanted to weep the pain out – tear out this ugly dark thing caged within her ribs.

She did none of these things.

Instead, Lucy straightened her posture and gathered her gear, stuffing everything into her workout bag. She closed her locker with far more care than necessary, gentle as a mother's kiss.

Then she left the dance studio.

* * *

Lucy wandered the corridors of Magnolia University, her footfall heavy as she passed by deserted classrooms, the locked library and the dark monitors of the computer lab.

Rehearsal had gone late, and by this time on a Friday night, most students had other places to be.

She was almost to the exit, resigning herself to the too quiet solitude of her apartment, when her feet trailed to a halt.

The wide double-doors of the auditorium were still flung open. She caught a flash of jet-black in her peripheral. There, set on the centre stage—

A grand piano.

As if in a trance, the blonde moved towards it, walking down a flight of stairs, winding through the narrow aisles before she climbed the stage steps towards the gleaming instrument.

Before she even knew what she was doing, she'd kicked off her sneakers, then her socks, wiggling toes that spent far too many hours confined to ballet pointes.

Once upon a memory ago, her music teacher Mavis had always taught lessons barefoot. Odd as it was, Lucy tried it once – after that she hadn't wanted to play any other way.

It had been seven years since Mavis and those lessons. She hadn't touched a piano until now.

She sat down on the ebony bench. The theatre was silent—filled with the type of quiet that only comes from being surrounded by instruments—as through the empty room was holding its breath.

Waiting.

Lucy folded her hands and rested them between her thighs, worrying the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper. After her mother died, she'd shunned the instrument.

Why?

She knew that answer. Her mom had always adored her playing, and the very idea of filling a room with music without Layla there to hear it had repulsed her.

But now, a handful of years later, bastioned by the healing powers of time, it all fell away. She regretted the years lost when she could've taken solace in the instrument they both loved.

Granted, her life had been busy, but there were moments such as these, when she had nothing but her black thoughts to accompany her, that the sound of the piano would've been comforting.

When the feel of the keys would have soothed – a balm against old scars.

Upon the stand above the keys were a few abandoned pages of sheet music. She flipped through them, running a hand over the ink, until one familiar page caught her attention.

Biting her bottom lip as she scanned the notes, stopping and restarting her reading until she was able to get to the end, the melody firmly etched into her mind.

She knew these notes. She had never quite forgotten – couldn't forget these chords that were so firmly imprinted along the ragged edges of her heart.

Lucy touched the brass pedals, cold and smooth beneath her bare feet. She lightly ran a finger from right to left across the ivory keys without pressing any of them down.

She was ready.

The first notes shimmered through the shadowy room, harp-like and haunting as she found the familiar combinations and struck them.

_Für Elise_.

Her mother's favourite song.

She had always thought the song started out melancholic, but the middle swoops in, joyous as a woodland sprite. Beethoven had written it for a woman he had wanted to marry but never did.

Why Lucy had chosen it now she neither dissected nor cared. The compulsion had struck and she'd responded, rusty as she was on this instrument. As she played, the tentativeness left her fingers, the tension left her shoulders and soon she began to feel what a runner feels when hitting her stride, the immense sense of well-being that comes from baring one's teeth to the wind and utilizing some capability that has laid dormant far too long.

She was unaware of the stranger's presence until she ended the last note, the song fading even as he spoke out of the shadows.

"Sounding good."

"Oh!" Lucy gasped, and lifted herself an inch off the piano bench. She swiveled around and saw a tall man watching her at the edge of the stage, his crossed arms braced against the lacquered wood as he glanced up at her. At her exclamation, he straightened, climbing the steps towards her until he was fully illuminated.

His hair was a mess of spiky coral, its jagged edges falling across his temples. Eyes of summer sage met hers – vivid and long-lashed, his grin lopsided and dimpled.

He was beautiful.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was here," she told him, tucking a stray flaxen lock behind her ear.

"I just forgot my stuff," he said, gesturing down to the worn leather satchel he had dangling between his fingers.

Lucy rose from the bench, disturbing the sheet music in her haste.

"Oh, don't do that. Didn't mean to disturb you. I just really like that song." He promised, scratching his cheek. His smile never quite fading, laugh lines bracketing his lips. "I'm Natsu by the way."

"Lucy."

Natsu sauntered toward her, tilting his head towards the piano. "Do you know any duets?"

"Some," she admitted.

He sat down on the bench and dipped his eyes to the space beside himself.

Lucy gingerly perched next to him, not sure why she was doing so. But it had been a strange day and like when she danced, there were times she just didn't want to stop. It was the same here. She wasn't ready to walk out of the room and leave the music behind her.

She wanted to _play._

She put the sheetbook back on the music shelf from where she'd accidentally dislodged it.

"I can improvise. Pick whatever you want," Natsu told her.

She didn't have the proper music sheet in front of her, but she felt flushed with her earlier success and picked a song she'd practiced thousands of times, but still fit with her mood – _Time _by Hans Zimmer, a modern work rather than a classic.

It started off with low chords so she had to reach across Natsu, but he immediately picked up what she was doing, crossing behind her as he stood, adding some high notes to the hauntingly beautiful refrains.

As they played the music seemed to swallow her entirely, filling up and easing some hollow place inside of her. She had forgotten how easily music heals, its ability to make you whole.

It was _wonderful._

One song led to two, to three, and Lucy lost track of time as she and this strange boy found different chords – each note a question asked, the answer given in harmony.

Lucy sometimes wondered how music could tear apart your soul, rebuild you from the ashes, and lift you to soaring heights, but she knew that it did. Questioning the _how _was futile, and it was best to just give yourself over to the melody and let it carry you wherever it needed you to go.

It could convey tragic loss to harkening angels and everything in between. The full range of human emotion condensed down to a few simple chords. Laughter, pain, joy, dread. Hearing the notes you _felt _these things, heavy as touch.

They were creating magic.

Eventually her hands tired and she was unable to keep the rhythm, hitting the wrong keys and jarring her out of the spell their playing had placed upon her.

She removed her fingers, laying them in her lap and letting Natsu finish the song by himself.

When the last lilting chord faded, she noticed their thighs were brushing against each other.

"Thank you, I needed that." Each syllable she uttered was a colossal effort as she tried to reset her brain into speaking. Music was a different language. Words felt clumsy and coarse by comparison.

"Can I ask why?" Natsu asked, dropping his own hands and turning his head toward her infinitesimally.

Lucy loosed a breath, rolling her neck to ease her stiff muscles.

"It's my dad," she explained, "I'm a ballerina and I asked him if he would come see me dance in our production of Swan Lake, but...he said he was too busy with work."

The pain was still there, but a dull thud compared to the sharp cut it had been earlier.

"That sucks."

"It does, but I'm okay." Lucy played a low-register C, holding it down until it diminished into silence.

"I'd love to come see it," Natsu said inexplicably.

Lucy's hand crashed on the keyboard in shock, sour notes squawking.

"Why would you want to go?"

He shrugged, eyes of loch and heath wide under the heavy fronds of his lashes.

"I like the ballet. Besides, you've heard me play the piano, only fair that I get to see you dance."

She wasn't the lead, she wasn't even in every act. "I'm not playing Odette, that's my friend Levy. I'm Siegfried's mom."

Natsu waved a hand like this was irrelevant. "When is it?"

His leg flexed slightly against hers, warm and firm and reassuring in a way she couldn't explain.

She cleared her throat, "Next week, it starts on Thursday."

A new type of silence filled the room, but one thick with anticipation.

With purposeful intent, Natsu reached up to tuck a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and her blood _burned._

"Are you okay with me coming to see you?"

"Yeah. It's okay," she breathed.

And it was.

After all, her and this stranger had already made sweet music together.

* * *

**_A/N - Putting Natsu and Lucy in different settings with different backgrounds was the best part of this challenge for me. Six of my seven one-shots are modern, which surprised even me._**

_Thank you again to my radiant friend, __**Satyrykal **__for editing this for me! She writes extraordinary Nalu stories so please check her out!_

_Other authors participating in Nalu Week are: __**ShanaHollows, wordsaremyspells1331, **__and __**Professor of Gallifrey! **__It's super fun to see different writers spins on the same prompt!_

_Thank you to everyone who has read these chapters! I appreciate it so much!_

_Extra thanks to my reviewers from last time! __**stranger1999, guest, BrokenAngelWings83, Lovetoreadff, MissVarta, ShanaHollows, JAKEDSNAKE, Shadow365, Daydream-wannabewriter, FireShifter, Professor of Gallifrey, **__and __**Slash2104 (x 3!)**_

_**Last prompt will be out tomorrow! **_


	7. Chapter 7 - Summer Light

_Beta: Satyrykal_

_Prompt: Treasure_

**Summer Light**

* * *

"_Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses_

_who are only waiting to see us act, just once,_

_with beauty and courage._

_Perhaps everything that frightens us is,_

_in its deepest essence,_

_something helpless that wants our love."_

— Rainer Maria Rilke

* * *

It had taken twenty-one days to reach the mountain entrance in a journey that should've taken ten.

Inclement weather, roaming bandits, and an ambush by a wolf pack had cost her time she didn't have. She lost her horse to the wolves, leaving her with meager rations – not nearly enough to make the return trip.

It scarcely mattered.

They were all good as dead anyway.

The dragon had already rejected two would-be champions. By ancient decree, Lucy was the third chance...

...and the last.

Fiore had been fighting for a span of three years. For every season they battled and lost, the more desperate they had become. By doctrine, they'd had been unable to ask for the dragon's help until exactly one hundred years had passed. Any who tried to flout the edict and arrived before the appointed hour was met with a deserted cavern, no fire-breathing beast to be found.

They couldn't afford mistakes, not now – so they followed the old customs to the letter.

The conflict with Alvarez had transformed once-thriving cities into smouldering piles of little more than rubble and ash.

Like all insidious things, it had begun in small ways – higher taxes were accompanied by a spike of military fervor as young men conscripted, urged to join the front lines of Magnolia's army. Churches implored those who had a penny to spare to donate it to the war effort. Minstrels touted national pride.

It had all been very rousing at first, in a way.

Then the casualties started piling up.

_Where disease starts, famine sets in,_ Lucy's mom used to say.

The oldest and youngest were culled first by the plague. Mothers buried their children. Fathers were often found hanging from trees with a rope around their necks. Whether because they ran afoul of thieves or by their own despairing hand, only the Fates knew.

War had sunk its claws in deep, drawing out blood after blood, and nothing had been able to staunch the flow of death. It hollowed-out eyes and lined the faces of the people.

_Her _people_._

Before this, her beloved country had been at peace for four hundred years. During that golden age, they hadn't sent a champion to invoke the treaty at all; but instead appointed only their most-trusted merchants to bring gifts of gold, jewels, fine long-haired goats and spring lambs to appease its monstrous appetites.

_All for nothing, if this is the thanks we get._

A harsh blast of air whistled from the opening of the rock shelter, blowing off her sable hood and biting into her skin. She pushed onward into the thickening darkness, not bothering to waste good flint and steel on a torch that would be extinguished within seconds by an unwelcoming wind.

In this at least, she'd been warned.

The would-be champions who had gone before—both the vanquished and the victorious—had carefully chronicled their expeditions so that those who came after might learn from them. There were maps detailing each step to take, which paths to follow or avoid through the treacherous terrain, as well as personal accounts of meeting the dragon. These parchments had been poured over by scholars for thousands of years.

All for naught, in Lucy's opinion. She had read the scrolls and thought only overfed nobleman could afford to be mired in such frivolous pursuits.

The dragon choose who it wanted and it was as simple as that.

She ventured further into the cave, which had remained nameless even after millennia. It was simply _the dragon's cave_.

It didn't need a name.

When the cavern narrowed and sloped downward, the winter chill that had followed her these long days slowly retreated...merely tonguing at the edges of stone. As though it, too, was hesitant to venture any further into the belly of the beast.

Lucy reached a stalagmite with clear markings – some in her own language and others with foreign symbols she didn't recognize. Most were faded into the limestone wrinkles, but a couple were so fresh they stood out, the stark white of jutting bone.

All of them were some variation of the words _light _or _torch_.

She paused to dig into her pack and unwrapped an alabaster shell from within her bundled clothing. She pressed a tincture of beeswax into the shallow bowl, and then carefully lit the wick.

The oil lamp carved a circle of light in the gloom ahead of her, softening the sharp edge of the walls but doing little to abate her growing sense of unease.

For several long minutes, nothing changed as she walked. All Lucy could hear were the scuttle of small rodents and all she could see were the shiny disc-black bodies of beetles crawling up the walls.

The further she ventured downward, the steadier the temperature climbed. Eventually, the scent of pine needles and charred wood wafted up to reach her. It curled around her, embracing her like an old, dear friend.

Not much further now.

The passageway thinned to the point she had to go sidewise to get through, wary of her hips as she crouched through the narrow gaps. She encountered gypsum crystals sticking out like fanged teeth, shining moon-bright.

_Beautiful._

Lucy wished she had time to admire them.

After she picked her way around the minerals, the path evened out and widened, as promised by the scribes. The rockface became flat as a skipping stone, tempered by sharp claws and wicked flames.

The dragon was waiting for her.

The stories did not do him justice.

His long serpentine body was covered in crimson scales brushed with gold edging at each tip, so shiny in the reflected light they looked wet. His wings tucked comfortably along the sides of his body. He stayed coiled, for which Lucy was thankful, because even small as she was, she doubted there would be any space left for her if he decided to stretch to his full length.

"So...you're the third champion," it grumbled, the timber of his voice filling the den, sonorous and harsh with disuse.

"I am, sir." The dragon had not disclosed his name in all the centuries he'd lived here, but it never hurts to be polite. Lucy raised her lamp higher to see him more clearly.

He slowly moved his neck toward her, cocking his head to the side in an oddly puppy-like gesture. His eyes a glistening black – the space cleaved between the stars. He grinned.

If he refused her, Lucy knew that smile would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life.

Rows of glinting bone-white teeth – far more pointed than any sword _could be _– came closer and closer. She inhaled sharply, astonished that he didn't emit a putrid scent from his maw, but instead smelled of kindled birchbark and fine polished cedar.

He snapped those teeth and it was the dry sound of a hundred skulls cracking.

She stood her ground.

He let out a snort of surprise, inhaling deeply. "The third guardian to be sent, the last hope...and a princess at that."

Lucy scowled. Her titles weren't worth the parchment they were printed on now. Not that she had ever cared about her birthright.

"What's your name?" He demanded. He had a voice like flint and steel – the possibility of fire lingering behind each wrought syllable.

She opened her mouth to answer but inhaled a great mouthful of limestone dust. She coughed viciously, keeling in half, one arm wrapped around her stomach. Her embarrassment amplifying as the hacking continued incessantly for several long minutes. The dragon seemed to grow more amused the longer it took her to speak.

Finally, she was able to rasp out, "Lucy Heartfilia."

"You're aware of the decree?" It was a formality to ask.

"I am." She could still feel a tickle in her throat. She tried to swallow it down.

"Proceed."

Three questions. She had three questions to ask and three to answer. The rhyme children chanted to each other while skipping popped automatically into her head.

_Dragon's tale, dragon's tale_

_Chase it 'round without fail_

_Three questions you must ask_

_And three truths you must tell_

_Aid lies at Summer's fell_

"Why did you refuse both Erza and Gray?" She blurted out.

A trifle unethical to combine both former challengers in the same question, but it wasn't as though she had a lot of options.

"Why did you send them?" he countered.

So, she was to go first then.

Lucy didn't even have to think twice about the first part of her answer.

"Erza is our mightiest warrior, the strongest among us. We had hoped strength would beget strength. It is said you have respected fearsome fighters in the past, especially ones with purity in their hearts."

The dragon seemed to mull over her response and was slow in speaking.

"That is true, but your first champion did not interest me. Her questions were trite. I refused her because I wanted to see what else you people would come up with."

_People are dying and you refused a champion for not being entertaining enough for you?_

It took everything Lucy had to keep the words locked behind her teeth.

She swallowed thickly, trying to push down her anger.

He was their last hope, after all.

She took a few steadying breaths before continuing. "We sent Gray because he was voted amongst us as the most diplomatic. Although not the most learned scholar, he_ is_ the fairest. It is rumoured you respect those who can set aside their feelings for the sake of the greater good. Gray has that capacity."

"Did_ you _vote for him?"

She almost lied and said yes, but the song flared in her mind. _Three truths you must tell._

"No, I didn't."

The dragon tilted his head, too smart to use up his last question, but obviously encouraging her to go on.

"Gray is fair, that is true. But you're a fire dragon. Gray's icy exterior makes him seem distant, even when he's not. I had reservations about how fire and ice would mix, especially in a short amount of time."

_Time they didn't have to spare._

"I seriously considered Gray," the dragon rumbled, "He was honest and unwavering in his conviction. But then he started to get naked…"

_Seriously? Gray's stupid stripping habit was the reason why she was here?_

"...and I found that distasteful so I asked him to leave."

_Asked_ was a generous word. The way Gray told it, the dragon had suffocated him in his claw until he lost consciousness. When he finally awoke, Gray was at the foothills of the mountain, horse and pack tethered beside him, untouched.

Which brought her to her second question.

"Why did you refuse the gold and jewels we sent?"

The dragon gave a bemused grin.

"I'm over four thousand years old. I have tasted the wind from the highest mountain peaks. I have bathed in water clear as glass. I have basked in sunlight on foreign sands untouched by man. I have magic and immortality...and you think I value a pile of shiny trinkets?"

He snorted, quickly adding: "That was a rhetorical question, not one I wish you to answer."

Lucy longed to ask more about it, since the dragon had accepted – no, had _demanded _treasure from past champions as payment for his aid.

However, she only had one question left and needed to be careful.

"You go first," she said. Maybe she could learn something from it, something that would compel him to come with her.

The dragon tilted his head, studying her carefully.

"Why did they send you?"

Why indeed?

Lucy had thought about it constantly during the journey – why the other contenders had elected her. She wasn't smart like Levy or strong like Gajeel. She didn't have Cana's cunning or Laxus' natural leadership.

She chewed the inside of her cheek. It didn't bode well to take too much time in answering.

Lucy closed her eyes, shutting out everything – all hope, all fear, all desire. It was something her mother had taught her as a child. To let the world fall away and connect with her own body. She breathed out, trying to find the kernel of truth inside of her.

_There._

"My heart…" she gasped out. "I think they sent me because of my heart."

The dragon studied her closely, whiffing at her hair.

Those dark eyes seemed to swallow her in their depths – something flashing within its pitch, as if he saw _through _her, before they cleared once more.

"I think you're right. Very well, I shall go with you. Lucy Heartfilia, I accept you as my champion."

The words were binding, an ancient rite.

His words wound around her chest, unraveling in her veins. It immobilized her. She went rigid as pain sluiced through her, a golden light anointing her. It burned a brand on her skin, just above her collarbones, crimson scales and chasing gold flame appearing in an intricate, thin pattern depicting the dragon.

She slumped to the ground as the magic released her, her knees knocking against the jagged rock and her lungs constricted tight. She put one hand to her throat, the other reaching up to touch the soul-enchantment he had placed upon her.

The rigid, blazing tattoo cooled instantly against her fingertips.

_The heat became __**part**__ of her._

A piece of dragon fire.

It was done.

She and the dragon were bound together, until her death.

"This feels so odd…" she said, looking down at her hands. She hadn't known what to expect, but it wasn't _this_. When she waved them, they gave off a bit of shimmer, like wafting gold dust.

"You'll get used to it," the dragon chuckled.

Lucy concentrated, trying to light a fire in the palm of her hand. To her great disappointment, only a tiny flicker of flame appeared.

"It'll get stronger the longer we know each other," he assured her. "Within a few months, you will be able to command the flames as I do. Your eyesight will sharpen and already my scales have begun to form underneath your skin. As a human, you are practically indestructible now."

Then he murmured almost to himself, "Not that I would let _anything _happen to you."

He sat up, his spiral horns brushing against the ceiling of the cavern, dust raining on them. He shook himself to clear it from his scales, his shifting weight causing a shudder along the limestone floor.

As he moved, he exposed a cache in the plain rock wall behind him that his bulk had previously hidden. Lucy was able to see piles of treasure. Gold coins, rubies the size of robin's eggs, emeralds, sapphires...jewels she didn't even know the names of – most loose, but some set into tiaras, swords, sashes and rings.

"There's probably a sack around here somewhere," the dragon said, carefully nudging the piles with his nose.

"Sack?" She repeated numbly, still caught up in the fact that the dragon had accepted _her. _That he was her familiar.

The dragon grunted. "I assume Fiore needs funds: for armour, seeds to replant crops, and the like. Wars are expensive things."

"I don't understand…"

The dragon paused in his search, craning his head to look at her. "What don't you understand?"

She loosed a breath, a few golden strands of her hair drifting away from her forehead before settling back down again. "Why did you take treasure from us for thousands of years if you're just going to give it back? Isn't this part of your horde?"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "I told you, I have no need of such things."

No, that wasn't right. He _had _all these things because her people had gifted them to him.

"You demanded Yuri The Wise give you half our coffers in exchange for the familiar bond two thousand years ago," Lucy told him.

"Yuri the Wise? Is that what history is calling him now? He'd be so pleased. Yuri the Reckless would've been more apt. He was a small princeling when he came to me. At a time when Fiore was at its richest. Most of what you see here came from him. He had the potential to be great, but there was too much greed in him. He would've been too wasteful with resources if I hadn't intervened. I took away a portion of his means and he had to think before he spent the rest. It made him a better leader, a better King. And of course, he had me to help him." At the last, the dragon seemed to preen a bit.

Realization filtered through her. "You take treasure to _save?_ So that you can help out in future conflicts?"

He snorted again like it was painfully obvious. "Of course."

"But...but...none of the chronicles mention that," she spluttered.

"And neither will you," he said seriously, the cathedral of his deep voice darkening to the sound of mourning bells before lightening again. "It's something best kept secret until needed, don't you agree? It wouldn't be good to have treasure hunters coming here in search of my horde. It's taxing placing glamours over it so that the cave appears empty when I leave."

Stupefied, Lucy persisted. "But...it's not just treasure. What about the lambs and goats?"

He seemed to shrug, his massive wings spreading out a bit. "A dragon's got to eat and it's nice every now and again to have a meal prepared for you."

She stared at him agape, but he was already moving on, finding a few large gunny sacks and nudging them in her direction. "Would you mind getting those?"

Lucy did as he asked and held the bags open as he filled them with a bit of everything.

When she was finished tying off the last sack so that the riches wouldn't spill out, the dragon said, "There's a saddle you have to strap it to my back, then tie the pouches to it. Tightly. I move quickly."

Mutely, Lucy nodded and found the saddle. It was made of black leather, softer than doeskin. It didn't work in quite the same way as a horse's pillion, but the dragon gave her clear instructions on how to cinch the straps. He checked and flexed to make sure she did it correctly.

"Good," he approved finally, motioning she should move the riches to the saddlebags.

She attempted to lift the first load but it was _heavy. _With her arms straining, hands barely able to reach all the way around, the material course and bumpy against her cheek, she heaved with all her might.

It didn't move an inch.

She switched tactics, tugging with both arms, digging in with her heels to try to _drag _the damn thing.

It refused to budge.

The dragon seemed to be laughing at her, if the chortling rumbles coming from his heaving chest were any indication.

The blonde harrumphed, her boots toeing the burlap sack as she put all her weight into it and _pushed, _attempting to roll it to him_._

Nothing happened.

She gave the bag a disgruntled kick, succeeding only in injuring her toe. Lucy yelped, hopping on one foot.

A resounding roar filled the room as the dragon watched her, his wings and shoulders shaking with mirth.

She stared at him, crossing her arms. "Are you quite finished now?"

Her peevish expression set him off further and his howls became thunder. Dust got in her hair and on her shoulders but she stubbornly refused to brush it off. She could feel her hair turning white, the weight of the limestone powder flattening her golden tresses.

It made him laugh harder—great heaving laughs that rang out like forge bellows—the air becoming swelteringly hot and faintly smoky as he snorted.

Lucy tapped her foot impatiently and the dragon chortled some more, forcing a reluctant smile from her. She knew she must look ridiculous. She giggled, shaking her head so that the talc scattered around her like snowdust.

The dragons' titters subsided and he seemed to catch hold of himself. If he were human, he would've wiped a tear from his eyes. Instead, he just gave a fanged grin, putting his head on the floor so she could see herself reflected in his onyx orbs.

"I don't seem to recall humans being so puny. You haven't got much for muscles, do you?"

"I'm ignoring that remark. A nice dragon would offer to help," she said, over-sweet.

He huffed, a cocky smirk gracing his features, but he dropped down beside her, obedient as a lapdog. He even rolled slightly so she could just latch the treasure directly to the saddle packs, shifting his body to accommodate her.

After she secured the sixth one, he said, "That's enough. We can always come back for more if we need it."

Lucy swung herself up onto his back. In this, at least, she needed no assistance. Once she had adjusted her seat and had one hand on the pommel, she couldn't resist reaching down to stroke his ruby scales.

They were hard, impenetrable, but felt like liquid metal, warm beneath her hand. She smoothed them down and the dragon _purred._

"There's a good boy," she whispered. She had meant to poke fun at him a bit, as revenge for him laughing at her, but the words caught in her throat and the dragon fire inside her seemed to flare at the words.

Is this what he meant by her fire getting stronger the longer they knew each other? Did touch strengthen the soul-bond between them?

Before she could find the wherewithal to ask, the dragon was moving and she screamed, both her hands struggling to find purchase, grasping the pommel until her knuckles turned white.

The dragon grunted and paused, twisting his neck back to ascertain her safety. When he was convinced she wasn't about to fall off, he continued walking, his wings scraping the walls as he went through a complicated maze of pathways, each one seeming to climb higher and higher.

Lucy had never been one for heights. Not frightened, exactly. She just had a healthy respect for them and tried to remain with both feet firmly planted on the ground as much as possible.

The dragon finally emerged into the sunlight onto a stone ledge. He unfurled his vast wings, the bloodred membranes and tendons giving a slight crack, as if they'd been cramped.

The fog surrounding them making it difficult to gauge how high up they were, but Lucy surmised it was much higher than most humans had ever gone before_._

The thin air and the snow pelted her—wet and sticky against her flushed face—but she wasn't as cold as she had been before. The tiny bit of dragon fire nestled inside of her, a soul-ember, hot as a brazier coal.

"You might want to hang on for this bit," the dragon said, giving her a cheery wink.

"I am hanging_—on—!"_

He plummeted straight down and the fog cleared. Lucy felt her legs pulling away as she almost lost her balance and toppled off. She locked her knees against the dragon as tightly as she could, bending forward to shelter her body from the buffeting wind. There was a long scream and it took a moment to realize it was coming from her.

The dragon's wings snapped open.

She was lifted right out of her seat before he caught the thermal and then she was unceremoniously planted right back down again with a loud _smack _to her backside_. _It stung but she was too grateful to be alive to even notice.

"Lucy..._look," _the dragon commanded.

She looked.

And_ saw._

Snow whirled around rock formations like playful sprites chasing the wind. Treetops pointed their finger-like tips at them, as if in awe of the dragon's majesty. Flashes of bird wing caught the corner of her eye, but by the time she turned her head, they were gone.

And the _quiet._

Lucy hadn't known silence could_ resound_, that peace could submerge bone-deep. She tightened her legs and arched back, spreading her arms wide, letting go of the dragon and...perhaps for the first time in her life, fully trusting herself.

The dragon must have felt her shift because he gave a startled gasp, but when he turned to look at Lucy, she was fine.

Better than fine.

She was_ flying._

Her eyes were closed and the wind was tussling her hair and her throat sang wordless praises for a long, long time.

The dragon flapped his wings, disrupting the calm for a split second before banking and gliding again, making lazy circles as he descended towards the ground.

It was over far too soon.

They landed at the base of the mountain, near the edge of the forest.

"I have never experienced anything like that," she said in a hushed tone, as if a raised voice would break the spell she was under. "Thank you, dragon."

"Natsu," the creature grunted.

"Pardon?"

He twisted his neck to face her. "My _name_...it's Natsu," he repeated.

_Oh._

"I've never told anyone that before," Natsu said, trepidation clear in his voice.

"I'm honored to know it, Natsu," Lucy said, tasting the words and liking the way they felt in her mouth.

"That's part of the reason I choose you, you know," he said inexplicably.

"Huh?"

"Lucy...it means _Light._ My name means Summer. Summer Light seems like a good name for a dragon and a companion, don't you think?"

She wanted to say it all might just be a strange coincidence but there was something so hopeful behind his eyes that she just_ couldn't._

"I feel like we were meant to be great friends, Natsu," she said honestly.

The dragon grinned at her, swishing his tail and knocking a few trees over. Lucy was too polite to point it out and Natsu was too happy to notice.

"I have something else to show you, as well." he told her, "but I need you to climb off my back."

Lucy slid off the saddle, her legs wobbly as a newborn calf but she somehow managed. She walked around to the front of him.

Natsu stepped back a few paces and then reared into the air, standing on his hindlegs, blotting out the sun. Then he _glowed, _so bright she flung an arm out in front of her eyes to protect them – wincing and backing away from the force of power she felt emitting from him.

"You can look now," Natsu said, his voice less a cacophony of bell-like sounds and more the brass-deep tones of a single instrument.

She opened her eyes.

Where a dragon had been a man was now standing there.

He looked about her age and had thick coral hair styled in choppy spikes. His face was lean, with defined features – chiselled cheekbones, straight nose, and full lips. When he smiled, his incisors were slightly longer than normal, but they gave him a carefree, devilish look.

His shoulders were broad and his muscular bare chest could've made a sculptor weep.

Lucy found herself drawn up to his face again.

"Your eyes are green now," she told him.

_Green _wasn't the right shade for them. They were luminescent and glittered like foxfire.

Natsu snorted, "A man is standing naked in front of you and you're worried about eye colour? You're kind of a weirdo, aren't you?"

Lucy looked down again.

He was indeed naked.

She screamed, shielding her gaze – whirling away from him.

"Hey, I don't mind you looking," the dragon said, laughter colouring his tone. Lucy didn't answer, willing away the fiery blush gracing her cheeks, but she could hear rustling. She muttered under her breath as she calmed, her blood cooling just as he called out to her.

"It's fine now, I put some clothes on."

Lucy peeked over her shoulder. Natsu was indeed dressed in a grey linen tunic embroidered with a scarlet crest in the shape of a dragon over his left pectoral. Back pants were tucked into black boots to complete the ensemble.

"I always keep some clothes in the packs," he explained before she could ask where they came from.

"I didn't know you were a shapeshifter," she muttered.

_Those chronicles had been next to useless._

Natsu shrugged. "No one knew. You're the first person I have shown my true form."

Lucy's mind snagged on the last thing he said, "Your_ true form?"_

"I was born a human. I was cursed and trapped into the form of a dragon." Natsu said, as casually as one might discuss the weather.

"Who...who did that to you?"

"My brother, Zeref. The same dark wizard you're fighting now," he said in that same calm, measured voice.

Zeref – the Emperor of Alvarez, the Black Wizard...and a dragon's_ brother?_

Lucy collapsed to the ground, her legs too shaky to hold her weight any longer. If this is what Zeref would do to his own family, then what would he do to a nation with which he had no ties? She peered up at him from beneath pale lashes, the kohl long worn away from her journey. "But why would he do this? Why would he curse you?"

"He's immortal too, or near enough. He didn't want me to die, so he changed me so I couldn't."

"The things you're saying sound like they're from myths and fairytales," Lucy murmured in a daze, ripping up a few blades of damp grass just to feel rooted to the earth.

"Ah, but aren't dragons and soul-bonds the stuff of fairytales? And yet here we are," Natsu countered.

Fair enough.

Lucy had a million questions to ask, but she started with something simple. "How did you break the spell?"

Natsu tilted his head, carding one hand through his salmon hair. "I told you I have magic. With four thousand years and nothing but time on my hands, I eventually broke free."

"But...why didn't you stay human?"

"I age as a human," Natsu explained. "And those once-every-hundred year visits by your people convinced me I wasn't missing out on much by staying in dragon form."

She snorted, unsure whether to feel insulted or not.

He bounced on the balls of his feet and she surmised he had problems standing still.

Natsu continued talking, "Oh, I _have_ thought of dying, just to spite my brother. But when he went quiet a few centuries ago, I knew he was plotting something. This war Fiore has been launched into is by his design. He's baiting me, trying to draw me out."

"Looks like he succeeded," Lucy said glumly. If Zeref was a powerful enough dark wizard to turn people into dragons four thousand years ago, what chance did her people have _now?_

As if reading her thoughts, Natsu spoke.

"Lucy, don't worry. I would've accepted the third champion no matter what, but I wasn't totally honest with you earlier. There was something else, some deeper instinct that told me to reject Erza and Gray. I think...I think I was waiting for you."

At his words, Lucy could feel her own dragon fire blaze...it seemed to want to reach for him. But also, there was something more. Something deeper she couldn't yet comprehend.

Something they didn't have time to discover.

Not now.

She shook her head as if to clear it. "You're a very handsome man Natsu, but if we're going to haul this treasure out of here, I need you back as a dragon. We both know I can't carry it."

Natsu started in surprise, his mouth going slack for an instant before a sweet smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. He looked boyish and mischievous all at once.

"You think I'm handsome?"

Lucy felt her face flushing; she hadn't meant to say the 'handsome' part aloud. She found a note of false bravado. "Natsu, I was supposed to be back_ days ago_. We're just lucky Erza must be occupied. Otherwise, she'd be charging through this forest, thinking I've been kidnapped and coming to rescue me."

"Okay, okay," Natsu conceded, but he came closer and reached for her hand. He raised it up to his lips, his hand warm, his breath hot. For some reason, it sent shivers racing down her spine. He brushed his lips over her knuckles in a chaste kiss that punched the air right out of her lungs.

"But if I _were _to steal a princess, it would be you."

Lucy blinked rapidly, but before she could respond, he had transformed back.

She gave a soft chuckle, reaching out to stroke his cheek, enjoying the way the light played over his ruby scales that were dipped in gold. Natsu leaned further into her hand, a deep hum of contentment reverberating from his chest. She gave him a final pat and then swung back into the saddle.

"Ahh, but you might be a little too late. You see, I've already captured the dragon and bond him as my familiar."

She felt his shock and pleasure at her remark, soul-deep.

As he spread his wings, she gave him a playful nudge with her foot.

"Let's go save the world, Natsu."

* * *

_**A/N -**__ Natsu's cave is based on the Cave of Crystals, found in Mexico._

_Foxfire is a real thing and it's a glowing green, most often found in forests.__** Satyrykal**__ always surprises me with wonderful colour descriptions, but this time I had hoped to surprise her._

_Thank you to __**Satyrykal **__for putting up with me these incredibly hard yet wonderful few weeks. Her editing prowess but most importantly her friendship kept me from capsizing. She has several Nalu stories on here as well as an amazing Nalu/Miraculous Ladybug crossover! Please go check her out!_

_Other authors who went into the madhouse with me for Nalu Week are: __**ShanaHollows, wordsaremyspells1331, **__and __**Professor of Gallifrey.**_

_Thanks to my reviewers from last time:__** lovetoreadff, Slash2104, JAKEDSNAKE, Professor of Gallifrey, ShanaHollows, Fireshifter, stranger1999 **__and __**BrokenAngelWings83!**_

* * *

_**About Me Section**_

_Two weeks to prepare 7 stories! It was a whirlwind and I apologize if I haven't sent a proper PM. I wanted to thank you, say I appreciate each of you, and am so incredibly grateful to have shared this journey with you guys. Thank you for your support._

_I wrote these stories in the following order:_

_1) Chance_

_2) Trial_

_3) Treasure_

_4) Cursed_

_5) Lost_

_6) On The Road_

_7) Stranger_

_All seven prompts taught me something._

_Chance is my personal favourite and flowed easiest._

_Trial __took the least amount of time to write._

_Treasure I have the most plot bunnies for. ETA: Story most likely to be turned into a multi-chapter fic. _

_Cursed took the most time to write. (Worth it.)_

_Lost was initially the hardest with rewrites but ended up being the most unexpected._

_On The Road was the hardest to write._

_Stranger is the most personal as I did play the piano. Lucy's thoughts on music are very much my own._

_All of them I wished I could've spent more time with, perfecting them for you._

* * *

_**In addition to my first Nalu Week, this is first time I have Completed a story.**_

_**The other stories I write are both Nalu and M. rated. They're called Request Board Romance and If The Shoe Fits, if you're interested.**_

_**Do you have a favourite one-shot now the week is over? Please let me know!**_

_**Thank you all for reading!**_


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